January 27 has been designated by the United Nations as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The date was chosen because, on January 27, 1945, the infamous Nazi German slave labor and death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, was liberated by the Soviet army.
The Holocaust did not start with Auschwitz. It started with the Nazi demonization and dehumanization of an entire race. This was followed by the deprivation of the right and, eventually, the destruction of these people. In our pluralistic world, where hatred is very often a prominent feature, the remembrance of the Holocaust serves as a constant reminder and warning of humanity’s capacity for evil.
written by T, 16 years old