International Holocaust Remembrance Day is commemorated on January 27th each year to mark the anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, where more than a million people were murdered.
The day reminds us that we are a world scarred by genocide, urging everyone regardless of country, religion or race to remember and honour the six million Jews killed during the Holocaust, as well as the millions of others who the Nazi regime considered politically, racially, religiously, ideologically or socially unfit. This includes (but is not limited to) people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, Black People, Jehovah’s Witnesses, European Roma and Soviet prisoners of war.
IHRD is also the time to remember those murdered in subsequent genocides including in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
IHRD is different to “Yom HaShoah” the Jewish day of holocaust remembrance – Click here to learn more.
When is International Holocaust Remembrance Day?
IHRD takes place annually on January 27th.
How is International Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemorated?
IHRD is commemorated through a variety of global, national, and community events aimed at honouring the victims of the Holocaust and other genocides, developing educational programs to prevent future atrocities, and fighting antisemitism and hatred.
How can I mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day?
There are a variety of ways to mark IHRD, from simply learning about the holocaust and subsequent genocides, attending events or hosting your own. Below you will find few resources as well as events and exhibitions:
- The United Nations – The UN Hosts a full program of remembrance including the Annual United Nations Holocaust Memorial Observance (Available to watch on UN TV). Details of their full programming for this year can by clicking “Calendar of Events” on the landing page.
- The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust – HMDT has a wide variety of resources as well as events in the UK and beyond.
- The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has a large number of resources and holds an annual name reading event on January 27th.
- World Jewish Congress – The World Jewish Congress’s “#WeRemember” campaign contains social media toolkits, survivor videos and global resources for events and commemorations.
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