Holocaust Memorial Days

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A Holocaust Memorial Day or Holocaust Remembrance Day is an annual observance to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust, the genocide of six million European Jews by Nazi Germany. Many countries, primarily in Europe, have designated national dates of commemoration. In 2005, the United Nations instituted an international observance, International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

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Many observances fall on 27 January, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945, while other countries selected separate dates, often to mark anniversaries of national events during the Holocaust. Holocaust Remembrance Days often include efforts to combat hatred and antisemitism.

List of observances

CountryDayNameNotes
United Nations 27 January International Holocaust Remembrance Day Designated by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 60/7 on 1 November 2005. [1]
Azerbaijan 27 JanuaryDay of the Tragedy and Heroism of the Jews
Australia 27 January [2] International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Austria 5 MayMemorial Day against Violence and Racism in Memory on the Victims of National Socialism
German : Gedenktag gegen Gewalt und Rassismus im Gedenken an die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus
The day that the concentration camp Mauthausen was liberated in 1945.
Belgium 27 JanuaryInternational Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
French : Journée internationale de la commémoration en mémoire des victims de la Shoah
Bosnia and Herzegovina 27 JanuaryInternational Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
Bulgaria 10 MarchHolocaust Remembrance Day and the "Day of the Salvation of the Bulgarian Jews and of the Victims of the Holocaust and of the Crimes against Humanity"The day of the revocation of the plan to expel the country's Jewish population, officially designated in 2003. [3]
Canada - Alberta, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia 27 Nisan (April/May)The Canadian provinces of Alberta, [4] Manitoba, [5] and Nova Scotia [6] enacted legislation to recognize Holocaust Memorial Day in 2000. [7] Note: Other provinces of Canada have made the same enactment so the Canadian entry needs a full updating[ citation needed ]
Croatia 27 JanuaryDay of Remembrance of the Holocaust and for the Prevention of Crimes against Humanity
Czech Republic 27 JanuaryMemorial Day for the Victims of the Holocaust and Prevention of Crimes against Humanity
Czech : Den památky obětí holocaustu a předcházení zločinu proti lidskosti
Denmark 27 JanuaryAuschwitz Day of Holocaust and Genocide Remembrance
Estonia 27 January [8] Holocaust Remembrance Day

Holokausti mälestuspäev

Finland 27 JanuaryMemorial Day for the Victims of the Holocaust (Vainojen uhrien muistopäivä)
France 16 JulyAnniversary of the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup
French : Anniversaire de la rafle du Vélodrome d'hiver .
Remembrance marking the mass arrest of 13,152 Jews in Paris in 1942 and their extermination at Auschwitz.
Germany 27 JanuaryMemorial Day for the Victims of National Socialism German : Tag des Gedenkens an die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus
Greece 27 JanuaryNational Holocaust Memorial Day
Greek : Εθνική Ημέρα Μνήμης Ολοκαυτώματος (Ethniki Imera Mnimis Olokaftomatos)
Since 2004. [9]
Hungary 16 AprilHolocaust Memorial DaySince 2001. [10]
Ireland Sunday closest to 27 JanuaryNational Holocaust Memorial Day

Irish : An Lá Idirnáisiúnta Cuimhneacháin ar íospartaigh an Uileloiscthe

Israel (and many Jewish communities in other countries)27 Nisan (April/May) Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Day), or Yom HaZikaron laShoah ve-laGvura (Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day)Both an Israeli day of remembrance and a day of remembrance observed by many Jewish communities in the United States and elsewhere in the world.

The date relates both to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising which began 13 days earlier, and to the Israeli Independence Day which is eight days later. [11]

Italy 27 JanuaryMemorial Day Italian : Giorno della Memoria
Latvia 4 JulyCommemoration Day of the Victims of the Genocide Against the Jewish People

Ebreju tautas genocīda upuru piemiņas diena

Burning of the Great Choral Synagogue in Riga in 1941. [12]
Lithuania 23 SeptemberDay of the Genocide of Lithuania's Jews
Lietuvos žydų genocido diena
Anniversary of the liquidation of the Vilnius ghetto in 1943.
Luxembourg 27 JanuaryHolocaust Memorial Day
Netherlands last Sunday of January National Holocaust Remembrance Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on 27 January 1945.
North Macedonia 27 January
Norway 27 JanuaryHolocaust Memorial Day
Poland 27 JanuaryInternational Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the HolocaustAnniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. [13]
Portugal 27 JanuaryHolocaust Remembrance Day
Romania 9 OctoberNational Day of Commemorating the Holocaust
Romanian : Ziua Naţională de Comemorare a Holocaustului
Serbia 22 AprilHolocaust Remembrance Day
Dan sećanja na žrtve holokausta
Slovakia9 SeptemberHolocaust Victims and Racial Hatred DayOn 9 September 1941, Slovakia passed anti-Jewish laws based on the Nuremberg laws. [14]
Slovenia 27 JanuaryNational Holocaust Remembrance Day
Spain 27 JanuaryDay for Holocaust Remembrance and for the Prevention of Crimes against Humanity
Día Oficial de la Memoria del Holocausto y la Prevención de los Crímenes contra la Humanidad
Sweden 27 JanuaryHolocaust Remembrance Day
Förintelsens minnesdag
A national remembrance day every year since 1999.
Switzerland 27 JanuaryInternational Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust
Taiwan (Republic of China)27 January
25 February
大屠殺陣亡將士紀念日
(Dà túshā zhènwáng jiàngshì jìniàn rì)
In addition to the European events, the ROC/Taiwan also honors the victims of the February 28 incident. [15]
Ukraine 27 JanuaryHolocaust Memorial DaySince 2020. [16]
United States 8-day period, from the Sunday before Yom Hashoah to the Sunday after Yom Hashoah Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (DRVH)Established by Congress in 1979 as the period for remembrance programs and ceremonies.

As of 2004, twelve countries observed January 27, the day of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, including Germany, Britain, Italy and Scandinavian countries. In 2003 France designated this date as the day of remembrance of genocides and prevention of crimes against humanity. [17] In 2004 Israel designated this date as a mark of the struggle against antisemitism.

As of 2004, eleven countries in Europe had chosen dates related to local histories.

Commemorations and memorials

See also

Related Research Articles

Romani genocide

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Yom HaShoah Israels day of commemoration for the Jews who perished in the Holocaust

Yom Hazikaron laShoah ve-laG'vurah, known colloquially in Israel and abroad as Yom HaShoah and in English as Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Holocaust Day, is observed as Israel's day of commemoration for the approximately six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust as a result of the actions carried out by Nazi Germany and its collaborators, and for the Jewish resistance in that period. In Israel, it is a national memorial day. The first official commemorations took place in 1951, and the observance of the day was anchored in a law passed by the Knesset in 1959. It is held on the 27th of Nisan, unless the 27th would be adjacent to the Jewish Sabbath, in which case the date is shifted by a day.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Holocaust museum in Washington, D.C.

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Holocaust Memorial Day (UK)

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On January 27, 2005 the United Nations General Assembly held a special session in remembrance of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp on the same day of 1945. This is the first time that the international organization made a remembrance of victims of the Holocaust as a way to prevent futures genocides. Also, the General Assembly declared the day 27 of January as the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.

Montreal Holocaust Museum Holocaust history museum in Quebec, Canada

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International Holocaust Remembrance Day

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is an international memorial day on 27 January that commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, the genocide of European Jews by Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945. 27 January was chosen to commemorate the date that Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Red Army in 1945.

United Nations General Assembly resolution 60/7 on Holocaust remembrance called for the establishment of a programme of outreach on the subject of the "Holocaust and the United Nations" and measures to mobilize civil society for Holocaust remembrance and education, in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide. Since its establishment by the Department of Public Information in January 2006, the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme has developed an international network of civil society groups and a multi-faceted programme that includes: innovative online educational products, youth outreach, DVDs, seminars and training programmes, a film series, book signings, a permanent exhibit at United Nations Headquarters in New York City, and the annual worldwide observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

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Black Ribbon Day International day of remembrance

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Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust Period of commemoration in the United States

The Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (DRVH) is an annual 8-day period designated by the United States Congress for civic commemorations and special educational programs that help citizens remember and draw lessons from the Holocaust. The annual DRVH period normally begins on the Sunday before the Israeli observance of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, and continues through the following Sunday, usually in April or May. A National Civic Commemoration is held in Washington, D.C., with state, city, and local ceremonies and programs held in most of the fifty states, and on U.S. military ships and stations around the world. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum designates a theme for each year's programs, and provides materials to help support remembrance efforts.

The Documentation and Cultural Centre of German Sinti and Roma was established in Heidelberg, Germany, in the early 1990s, as a memorial to Sinti and Roma people who were killed by the National Socialists Party. After several years of extension work collecting stories from the victims, conducting research, and conversion, the building complex was ceremonially opened to the public on 16 March 1997, and was supported by the attendance of many Roma and Sinti survivors. It is the world's first permanent exhibition on the genocide perpetrated upon the Sinti and Roma by the Nazis. The documentation Centre has three levels and covers an area of almost 700 square meters, and traces the history and stories of the persecution of the Sinti and Roma under National Socialism. The institution is overseen by Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, supported by the city of Heidelberg, and is the beneficiary of special funds from the German Federal Government and the land of Baden-Württemberg.

Mémorial de la Shoah

Mémorial de la Shoah is the Holocaust museum in Paris, France. The memorial is in the district of Le Marais, in the third and fourth arrondissement, which had a large Jewish population at the beginning of World War II.

First mass transport of Jews to Auschwitz concentration camp

The first mass transport of Jews to Auschwitz concentration camp departed from Poprad transit camp in the Slovak State on 25 March 1942 and arrived at its destination on 26 March. It was the beginning of systematic deportation of Jews to Auschwitz concentration camp by the Reich Main Security Office and also the first transport of Jews from Slovakia.

Liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp World War II action

On 27 January 1945, Auschwitz concentration camp—a Nazi concentration camp where more than a million people were murdered—was liberated by the Red Army during the Vistula–Oder Offensive. Although most of the prisoners had been forced onto a death march, about 7,000 had been left behind. The Soviet soldiers attempted to help the survivors and were shocked at the scale of Nazi crimes. The date is recognized as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Romi Cohn was a Czechoslovakian-born American rabbi, and real estate developer.

Roma Holocaust Memorial Day

The Roma Holocaust Memorial Day on August 2 commemorates the victims of the Romani genocide (Porajmos) which was committed against the Romani people by Nazi Germany and its allies during World War II.

References

  1. Holocaust remembrance at www.UN.org.
  2. Australia marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day
  3. Bulgaria marks its Holocaust Remembrance day, The Sofia Echo , March 10, 2011 (retrieved October 10, 2013)
  4. Documents: Acts at www.qp.Alberta.ca
  5. Documents: Acts
  6. "Holocaust Memorial Day Act". nslegislature.ca. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  7. Laws: Statutes at web2.Gov. MB.ca
  8. "January 27 – International Holocaust Remembrance Day | Ministry of Foreign Affairs". vm.ee. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  9. Anazitisi: Nomothetiko at www.HellenicParliament.gr
  10. Megemlékezés a holokauszt magyarországi áldozatairól - April 16, 2020 - Magyar Nemzet, MTI
  11. "Remembrance Day Calendar". United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Archived from the original on September 15, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  12. "Latvia remembers victims of Holocaust". eng.lsm.lv . 2018-07-04. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  13. ODIHR. "Obchody Dnia Pamieci o Holokauscie" (PDF file, direct download 5.14 MB). Yad Vashem. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  14. "Slovakia commemorated Holocaust Victims and Racial Hatred Day". spectator.sme.sk. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  15. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3371380
  16. For First Time, Ukrainian Parliament Marks int'l Holocaust Remembrance Day
  17. "27 janvier : journée de la mémoire des génocides et de la prévention des crimes contre l'humanité". Ministère de l'Education Nationale et de la Jeunesse (in French). Retrieved 2020-04-17.
  18. Auschwitz: How death camp became centre of Nazi Holocaust, BBC, JAn 23, 2020.
  19. Auschwitz 75 years on: Holocaust Day prompts new anti-Semitism warnings. Holocaust survivors and international leaders are honouring victims of the Nazis at the former Auschwitz death camp, amid calls to fight resurgent anti-Semitism. The presidents of Israel and Poland - Reuven Rivlin and Andrzej Duda - laid wreaths together, 75 years after Soviet troops liberated the camp. BBC, January 27, 2020.
  20. Auschwitz 75th anniversary ceremony. Events are being held to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. BBC, Jan 27, 2020.
  21. Leaders and royals gather for UK Holocaust Memorial Day event. Senior royals, faith and political leaders are gathering in Westminster to commemorate International Holocaust Memorial Day.The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are joining Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the event, which comes 75 years after Auschwitz was liberated. The duke will give a reading and the couple will speak to survivors of the Holocaust and more recent genocides. BBC, Jan 27, 2020.
  22. German police probe Nazi-style beer brand, BBC, Jan 27, 2020.

Further reading