Taoiseach Micheál Martin is heading to Poland today to participate in a commemoration service marking 80 years since the liberation of the former Nazi-German concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Since 2005, the day of Auschwitz-Birkenau’s liberation has been annually recognized as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, honoring the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust along with other ethnic minorities who lost their lives at the hands of the Nazis.
The commemorative event today, taking place at the former death camp, will see the attendance of around 50 Auschwitz-Birkenau survivors and over 50 other global leaders and heads of state.
Established in 1940 in what was then German-occupied Poland, Auschwitz was the largest of the Nazi concentration and extermination camps during World War II.
(Watch above: Liam Nolan speaks to visitors at Auschwitz)
Approximately 1.1 million individuals were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau, with about a million of them being Jewish.
Other victims included Poles, Roma and Sinti gypsies, as well as Soviet prisoners of war.
The camp was liberated by Soviet forces on January 27, 1945.
In remarks ahead of the event, the Taoiseach stated, “We owe it to [the survivors] to ensure that now, and for all future generations, we remember and proclaim never again.”
Mr. Martin emphasized that his attendance at today’s commemoration serves to reaffirm Ireland’s commitment “to denouncing and combating antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, intolerance, racism, and xenophobia.”
The Taoiseach also highlighted a concerning rise in antisemitism and Holocaust denial in recent years, both online and offline, noting that Ireland had recently endorsed the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.
“We will continue to maintain a close relationship with the Jewish community in Ireland and ensure their concerns are addressed,” he added.
Read more:
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Today’s gathering is expected to be one of the last significant events that will witness those who lived through its atrocities.
The anniversary at the camp’s site, established by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland, will also see attendance from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Britain’s King Charles, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Council President Antonio Costa, and numerous other leaders.
Israel will be represented by Education Minister Yoav Kisch.
Pawel Sawicki, a spokesperson for the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial, mentioned that there would be no speeches from politicians and that the focus would be on listening to the stories of the survivors.
“It is evident to all that this is the last milestone anniversary where we can have a visible group of survivors present at the site,” he remarked.
“In ten years, this may not occur, and as long as we can, we should heed the voices of survivors, their testimonies, and personal narratives. This is of immense importance when discussing how the memory of Auschwitz is preserved.”
The main commemoration will commence this afternoon in a tent constructed over the entrance to the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp. One of the key symbols of the anniversary will be a freight train car, which will be positioned in front of the gate.
