January 27, 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz - the largest concentration and extermination camp of the Nazi regime. On that day, the Red Army troops liberated about 7,000 prisoners who remained in the camp, many of whom were sick and weakened due to extreme conditions of hunger and forced labor.
Before the liberation, the Nazis had attempted to evacuate the camp, forcing prisoners on a "death march" that resulted in the deaths of thousands. Auschwitz was the site where approximately 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were murdered. The liberation of Auschwitz was so significant that January 27 is also observed as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The liberation of Auschwitz. Credit: Auschwitz.org
Next Monday, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation with the presence of survivors from the concentration and extermination camp.
"Nothing will be easy about returning to Auschwitz, 80 years after I was liberated. This commemoration will be the last of its kind. We will be there. Will you stand with us?" says Michael Bornstein, a survivor of Auschwitz, who will be attending the event.
Read more about the liberation of Auschwitz on the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum website.
