A Day of Remembrance

Introduction

In 2005, the United Nations designated January 27th as International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Resolution 60/7). January 27, 2023 marks the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by the Soviet army.   The United States Holocaust Museum estimates that of the 1.3 million people sent to Auschwitz, 1.1 million perished.  When the Soviets arrived, only approximately 7,000 prisoners were alive.  As the world pauses to remember the victims of the Holocaust, the Valparaiso High School Media Department invites you to explore this site for more information on ways to reflect on the significance of this day in our world's history.  

2025 Theme: Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights

On the United Nations' 2025 Holocaust Remembrance and Education site, you will find an explanation of the purpose and significance of the 2025 theme, Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights.  It reads as follows:

2025 marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War and the Holocaust. 

Eighty years ago, in response to the atrocities of the war and the Holocaust, governments of the world established the United Nations, pledging to work together to build a just world where human rights were enshrined, and all could live with dignity, in peace.

Acknowledging the milestone year, the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme has chosen as its guiding theme for 2025, “Holocaust remembrance and education for dignity and human rights”. 

The theme reflects the critical relevance of Holocaust remembrance for the present, where the dignity and human rights of our fellow global citizens are under daily attack. 

The Holocaust shows what happens when hatred, dehumanization and apathy win. 

Its remembrance is a bulwark against the denigration of humanity, and a clarion call for collective action to ensure respect for dignity and human rights, and the international law that protects both. 

Holocaust remembrance safeguards the memories of survivors and their testament of life before the Holocaust – of vibrant communities, of traditions, of hopes and dreams, of loved ones who did not survive. 

Safeguarding the history brings dignity to those the Nazis and their collaborators sought to destroy. 

Remembrance of the Holocaust is a victory against the Nazis and their collaborators, and against all who would try to continue their legacy through spreading hatred, Holocaust distortion and denial into the 21st century. 

For full access to the site, click the link here.