The Holocaust
On 27 January 1945, a group of Red Army soldiers stepped into a camp. At first, the buildings seemed silent and abandoned – then, suddenly, hundreds of people began to appear.
“They rushed toward us shouting, fell on their knees, kissed the flaps of our overcoats, and threw their arms around our legs,” one soldier later remembered. After five years of terror, the concentration camp at Auschwitz was finally liberated.
Every year, on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, people around the world mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
The Holocaust took place between 1933 and 1945. During that time, over six million Jews were murdered by Nazi forces in an attempt to exterminate all Jewish people. Thousands more were killed for their race, religion, sexuality and political beliefs.
Holocaust Memorial Day is an opportunity to remember those killed in the Holocaust and to stand together against genocides around the world. This year’s theme, “Be the light in the darkness”, reacts to reports of growing hatred around the world.
In December 2018, a survey found that 89% of Jews living in 12 European countries thought anti-Semitism had increased in the last decade.
How can you raise awareness this week?
Read Our Stories
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The father and son who survived Auschwitz
This Sunday is Holocaust Memorial Day. A new book tells the story of two remarkable survivors: a father and son who stuck together in concentration camps for six horrific years…
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Company behind Pret admits to Nazi past
The Reimann family is the second richest in Germany, with stakes in major brands like Pret and Krispy Kreme. Now they have found evidence of a dark Nazi past. How should this make us feel?
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Row explodes over Amazon Nazi-hunter show
Is it wrong to tell fictional stories about the Holocaust? A new TV show about vigilante justice has been accused of sensationalising the genocide of millions for entertainment purposes.
Assembly
This week’s tailor-made assembly is a ready-to-use presentation that considers the history of the Holocaust and the different ways of remembering it. The slides feature thought-provoking images, videos and quotations, providing a resource that will promote discussion and understanding in class.
Activities
- Last year, people created memorial flames to mark 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. Make your own flame celebrating this year’s theme, “Be a light in the darkness”. Use these examples as inspiration.
- Watch this video tour of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. Create a design for a Holocaust Memorial in your school to educate others about the Holocaust.
- Explore some of the life stories of the victims of the Holocaust. Choose one person and write a short biography of their life.
