Auschwitz Memorial Marks 80th Anniversary of Liberation with Survivor-Centered Observances

OSWIECIM, Poland (AP) — On January 27, 2025, Auschwitz held commemorations to mark 80 years since its liberation by Soviet forces in 1945. Considered one of the last major gatherings of Holocaust survivors, it focused on remembering the atrocities and addressing rising global antisemitism.

Among the survivors present was 86-year-old Tova Friedman, who was six when Soviet troops freed her and 7,000 others from the Nazi death camp. Reflecting on the state of the world, she urged action against growing hatred and division, warning of the potential for further destruction.

Auschwitz, operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland, was the site of the systematic murder of approximately 1.1 million people, primarily Jews, but also Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, and others. The event included survivors visiting the camp’s infamous Death Wall, accompanied by Polish President Andrzej Duda and Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum director Piotr Cywinski.

Duda emphasized Poland’s role as a “guardian of memory” and acknowledged the unimaginable suffering inflicted, particularly on the Jewish community. Other world leaders, including Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz and France’s President Emmanuel Macron, attended the ceremony.

Notably absent were Russian representatives, barred since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, despite their historical role in liberating Auschwitz. Commemorations worldwide, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s tribute at Kyiv’s Babyn Yar, highlighted the enduring importance of honoring Holocaust victims and resisting modern forms of hatred.

Source: AP News