On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, dozens of former prisoners, priests and staff of the Auschwitz Memorial laid wreaths at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the camp's liberation, on January 27, 1945. They reunited at the so-called "wall of death" at Auschwitz Memorial's Block 11, against which Nazis executed thousands of prisoners. The main commemoration event was held at the camp's "central sauna", where new inmates were stripped naked, shaved bald and tattooed with a number on their arms by Nazis guards. Prayers and tributes were paid at the Monuments of the Victims. The Polish president Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki attended the ceremonies. The Auschwitz Birkenau camp operated from 1940 until its liberation by the Red Army on January 27, 1945. Until the liberation, German Nazis murdered approximately 1.1 million people in Auschwitz, mostly Jews, but also Poles, the Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and people of other nationalities. For the world today, Auschwitz is a symbol of the Holocaust and atrocities of World War II. January 27 was adopted as the International Holocaust Victims Remembrance Day by the United Nations in 2005. According to the UN, the purpose of this is not only to remember the victims of the Holocaust but also to promote the education of the Holocaust throughout the world. On January 23, the European Parliament held a ceremony in Brussels to mark the upcoming International Holocaust Remembrance Day. European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, Prime Minister of Romania Viorica Dăncilă and Chair of the Jewish Agency Issac Herzog commemorated the victims of the Holocaust. "The Eurobarometer published yesterday that 50% of the Europeans see antisemitism as a problem in their country," said Tajani as he opened the ceremony. "This is unacceptable for us. We must act and react, we must reach out to citizens, in particular, the young people. They are the future of Europe. Our schools and universities should not only provide skills and knowledge. They should teach the importance of solidarity, freedom and respect for human dignity." In June 2017, the European Parliament adopted a resolution which urged member states to protect its Jewish citizens and institutions from hate crime and hate speech. But not every member state has adopted this resolution. The Chair of the Jewish Agency Issac Herzog called on EU states, who are yet to adopt the resolution urgently. Europeans leaders have also paid tribute to the victims French president Emmanuel Macron shared a photo of a candle and said "the light of remembrance": "No words can ever do justice to the six million souls who were so cruelly murdered in the Holocaust", said British Prime minister Theresa May. The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez promised that "we will not forget the barbarism of antisemitism, racism and intolerance." "Never again fascism, never again Auschwitz", said German Foreign minister Heiko Maas.<doc-sep>Each year, the world honors the lives lost and remembers the atrocities of the Holocaust, but despite being one of the most pivotal moments in world history, recent polls found that in the modern era, knowledge about the genocide is quite low. A poll conducted in April by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany found that 22 percent of millennials either hadn't heard of the Holocaust or weren't sure if they had. Two-thirds of American millennials that were polled also could not identify what Auschwitz was, according to The Washington Post. Another poll conducted in seven countries in Europe had similar findings. Among the people who were surveyed, 20 percent of people, who ranged between the ages of 18 and 34, had never heard of the Holocaust. As distance forms between the past and the present, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, it's important to look back on the events that transpired to honor those who survived, remember those who were lost and learn from the mistakes of the past. Hitler Rise to Power (1919-1933) After World War I devastated Europe, many people were struggling economically and anti-Semitic sentiments were fueled by comments that Jewish people caused Germany to lose the war, according to Yad Vashem. Wounded in World War I as a soldier, Adolf Hitler joined the National Socialist Party in 1919 and was imprisoned in 1923 after a failed revolt in Munich, Germany. While in jail, Hitler wrote the infamous book Mein Kampf and after being released from custody, Hitler helped the Nazi Party grow in parliament. What began as a party with three percent of the votes cast, turned into the largest faction of the House and Hitler became chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933. Less than a month after Hitler took office, Weimar Republic President Paul von Hindenburg issued the Reichstag Fire Decree, which suspended constitutional protections in Germany. After Von Hindenburg died in 1934, Hitler became president of Germany, which he abolished about two weeks later, making him the absolute dictator. Concentration Camps & Jewish Restrictions (1933-1945) Shortly after taking power, the Nazi regime, also known as the Third Reich, established concentration camps. Among those imprisoned were Jews, political opponents, people who were homosexual, Jehovah's Witnesses and people classified as "dangerous," according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). Dachau was the first concentration camp created and over 188,000 people were incarcerated at the camp between the years of 1933 and 1945. Some of the most well-known concentration camps were Bergen-Belsen, where Anne Frank died, Auschwitz-Birkenau, one of the largest, and Ravensbrück, an all-female camp where many women were used as medical "rabbits." However, the Nazi regime built over 600 camps throughout Europe to aid in the extermination of European Jews and other undesirables. Those who weren't killed immediately after arriving at the camp, had their possessions taken from them, their heads shaved, were issued identical and often ill-fitted clothing and tattooed with a number on their forearm. Over the course of Nazis reign, Jewish people in Europe were subjected to over 400 decrees and regulations restricting aspects of their lives. Restrictions included bans on being in public places, having certain professions and possessing more than a pre-determined sum of money. Jews over the age of six were also forced to wear yellow Stars of David on their clothing so they could be easily identified. Many people who were Jewish were relocated from their homes to other areas of cities where they lived or entirely new countries to live in segregated housing known as ghettos. Those imprisoned in the ghettos were subjected to harsh and often times deadly living conditions. Many ghettos were later liquidated, its residents being sent to concentration camps throughout Europe. Olympic Games Germany (1936) On August 1, 1936, Berlin hosted the Olympic Games, which USHMM described as being a "propaganda success" for the Nazi government. Anti-Jewish signs were removed from public display and Helen Mayer, who was part Jewish, was included on Germany's Olympic team. Eighteen black athletes, including track phenomenon Jesse Owens, represented the United States at the games, winning 14 medals. Kristallnacht (1938) On the night of November 9, 1938, anti-Jewish demonstrations occurred throughout Germany, Austria and the Sudetenland, which was in Czechoslovakia. For 48-hours, hundreds of synagogues were destroyed and Jewish religious artifacts were burned or desecrated, according to USHMM. About 7,500 Jewish-owned businesses, homes and schools were robbed, 91 Jews were murdered and 30,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps. Nazis called the event Kristallnacht, which translated to "the night of broken glass," because thousands of windows were shattered. It represented a shift from anti-Semitic language and laws to violence against Jews. European Invasion (1939-1941) In exchange for the Sudetenland, Hitler promised multiple world leaders he wouldn't invade Europe. However, less than a year later, the Nazi regime invaded the Czechoslovakian provinces of Bohemia and Moravia, violating the agreement. Hitler later invaded other countries in Europe, identified in a timeline by Scholastic as: September 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland April 9, 1940: Germany invades Norway and Denmark May 10, 1940: Germany invades Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France June 22, 1941: Germany invades the Soviet Union The Final Solution (1942-1945) The "Final Solution," organized largely by Adolf Eichmann at a conference in January 1942, was the systematic mass murder of Europe's Jewish population, according to Yad Vashem. Although large numbers of Jews were killed before details of the "Final Solution," were finalized, the extermination process largely occurred through six death camps. At death camps, very few people were selected to remain alive and help with the extermination process, which primarily included putting people into gas chambers. Men, women and children at Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka and Chelmno were almost all sent immediately to their deaths upon arrival. Belzec, Sobibor and Treblinka were responsible for the deaths of about 1,700,000 Jews. Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest concentration and extermination camp on Polish soil. A small percentage of those who arrived at Birkenau were selected for labor or to participate in Dr. Josef Mengele's medical experiments. Over 1,100,000 Jews, 70,000 Poles, 25,000 Sinti and Roma Gypsies and 15,000 prisoners of war were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau, according to Yad Vashem. In total, six million European Jews, about two-thirds of Jewish people living in Europe at the time, were murdered during the Holocaust. That's more than the combined number of people living in Chicago and Houston, the third and fourth most populated cities in America, according to the 2017 census. Liberation (1944-1945) Liberation of the concentration camps began in July 1944, when Soviet Union forces reached Lublin-Majdanek in Lublin, Poland, according to USHMM. Following the discovery of Belzec, Sobibor and Treblinka, the Soviet Union liberated Auschwitz in January 1945, finding over 6,000 emaciated prisoners. As the Soviet forces advanced from the East, United States forces made headway from the West, liberating Buchenwald concentration camp on April 11, 1945. Allied forces were also responsible for liberating other camps, including Dachau, Mauthausen and Bergen-Belsen. Hitler, Nazi Leaders Kill Themselves (1945) On April 29, 1945, Hitler married Eva Braun and banished Herman Goering and Heinrich Himmler, both Nazi party leaders, from the party for being disloyal to him, according to Yad Vashem. On April 30, 1945, Braun took a cyanide capsule and Hitler shot himself in the mouth, killing himself in his bunker in Berlin. Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels and his wife killed their six children and then also themselves. Himmler also committed suicide before Germany's surrender. German Surrender (1945) A week after Hitler killed himself, German armed forces surrendered unconditionally in the west on May 7, 1945, and in the East two days later. V-E Day, short for Victory in Europe Day, was proclaimed on May 8, 1945, prompting celebrations in the capital cities of America, England, Russia and France. Nuremberg Trials (1945-1946) In 1945 and 1946, 13 trials were carried out in Nuremberg, Germany, to hold Nazi Party officials and others accountable for crimes against humanity. Three categories of crimes, crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity, were defined for the trials.<doc-sep>Sunday marked the 74th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi-run concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau where more than one million people died or were killed by Nazis. January 27 was later officially commemorated when the United Nations designated it International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The day was officially designated in 2005 and has been commemorated each year since. The idea behind the day was to both honor the victims of Nazism and the Holocaust and to promote education around it while preserving sites where the acts of genocide took place, according to the Holocaust Encyclopedia from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The day is frequently marked by commemoration ceremonies and activities to accomplish the awareness and remembrance of the day. Museums, memorials and education centers across the United States play an active role in the education around the Holocaust year-round, but especially on the day of remembrance. Here are five Holocaust memorials and museums around the U.S. you can visit. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington D.C. — This museum is frequently reviewed as one of the best in the world. The museum officially opened in 1993 and is open every day of the year except for Christmas and Yom Kippur. The museum is on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and admission is free though visitors do have to reserve timed-tickets ahead of time. The Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, Cincinnati, Ohio — The Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center was holding its grand opening on Sunday, the same day as Remembrance Day. The new location of the center is in Union Terminal in Cincinnati where some Holocaust survivors arrived in Ohio. "The museum examines this watershed moment through its local connection," according to the center. The center is open every day of the year except Christmas and Thanksgiving and there is a small fee for tickets. Florida Holocaust Museum, St. Petersburg, Florida — The idea for the Florida Holocaust Museum came from a businessman and philanthropist who escaped Nazi Germany in 1939. Along with others who had a personal connection and those who just wanted to be sure the Holocaust was remembered, Walter P. Loebenberg started the museum in 1992. On Sunday there will be free admission at the museum for Remembrance Day. Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, Los Angeles, California — This museum is the oldest survivor-founded Holocaust museum in the U.S. according to the museum. The museum began when survivors met while taking English classes and decided to put their items from the Holocaust on display. The new building for the museum opened in 2010 and admission is free but it is closed some days through the year for holidays and conferences. Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, Skokie, Illinois — Located about a 20-minute drive north of Chicago, the museum opened in 2009 after years of an education center working out of a storefront in the area. The idea for the foundation and ultimately the museum came after neo-Nazis threatened to march in Skokie in the 1970s, according to the museum. Tickets range from $6 for children and $15 for adults and the museum is open every day except Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Thanksgiving and Christmas.<doc-sep>
Leaders from around the world shared solemn statements online in honor of this year's International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The day of remembrance comes amid a surge of anti-semitic incidents in the past two years and rising levels of Holocaust denial. High levels of anti-semitic crime and seemingly decreasing awareness of the deaths of nearly 6 million Jews paint an alarming picture among adult populations. Leaders from around the world shared solemn statements online in honor of this year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which comes amid a surge of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial in recent years. This year's day of remembrance marks the 74th anniversary of the liberation of those imprisoned at Auschwitz concentration camp, where it's estimated 1 million people died. Hundreds of thousands of mentally ill and disabled people and half a million people of Romani descent were also killed in the Holocaust. Up to 15,000 LGBT people were imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps. President Donald Trump's eldest daughter, Ivanka, was the first of America's first family to share her tribute on Twitter, writing that the day marked a chance to "commemorate and honor the lives lost to evil and the strength of those who stood up to confront it." First lady Melania Trump tweeted soon after to "pay tribute to those who were lost and reflect on the tragedy of the Holocaust during World War 2." In an official statement released Sunday morning, the White House included an American officer's account of a death camp before stating the horrors inflicted by the German Third Reich. "Six million Jews were systematically slaughtered in horrific ways," the statement read. "The Nazis also enslaved and murdered Slavs, Roma, gays, people with disabilities, religious leaders, and others who courageously opposed their cruel regime." The statement continued: "the brutality of the Holocaust was a crime against men, women, and children. It was a crime against humanity. It was a crime against God." The message added that the best remembrance is to "strive to prevent such suffering from happening again." President Trump tweeted a link to the statement along with a picture of him at Yad Vashem, Israel's memorial to Holocaust victims. Trump has been accused of dog-whistling to anti-Semites during his campaign and presidency. In 2018, he was criticized for his statement marking Holocaust Remembrence Day that didn't mention Jewish people. British Prime Minister Theresa May and Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn both announced they had signed the Holocaust Educational Trust Book of Commitment, a British Holocaust education initiative. Corbyn's involvement Sunday comes after he was accused of anti-semitism last year, based on his support for renaming Holocaust Memorial Day and involvement with a 2010 event where a Holocaust survivor compared Israel to Nazism. Disturbing findings Though the holiday was established by the United Nations in 2005 in part to promote Holocaust education, recent surveys have shown that many adults still lack basic knowledge about the genocide. The anniversary comes after Anti-Semitic incidents surged 57% in the US in 2017, according to figures from the Anti-Defamation League that marked the first time cases were reported in every single state since 2010 and the largest increase in one year. Fifty-two percent of Americans said incorrectly that Hitler came to power through force. Forty-one percent of Americans and 66% of millennials couldn't say what Auschwitz was. The survey also found that 22% of millennials said they had never heard of the Holocaust or weren't sure. A survey released Sunday by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust found that one in 20 British adults do not believe the Holocaust happened and one in five said they thought fewer than two million were killed, one of the most recent measures of disturbing trends among current Holocaust knowledge. A 2018 poll conducted by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany found several disturbing trends among Americans, including that 31% of the population and 41% of millennials believe that two million or fewer Jews were killed in the Holocaust. After an October 2018 mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue by a gunman who espoused anti-semitism and support for the Trump administration's anti-immigrant rhetoric online, many have connected the rise of hate in America to the president's open disparagement of immigrants and mixed messaging on incidents like the white nationalist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville.