Holocaust survivors mark 80th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation amid rising antisemitism concerns

By Nuray Mustafa
January 28, 2025 08:29
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Reuters

Holocaust survivors gathered on Monday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the infamous Nazi concentration camp where over 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were systematically murdered.

The solemn ceremony took place at the former camp site in Poland, which was initially established by Nazi Germany as a forced labor camp before becoming a central hub in the regime's genocidal machinery. Victims perished in gas chambers, or succumbed to starvation, disease, and freezing conditions.

The event was attended by prominent global leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Britain's King Charles, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Polish President Andrzej Duda. Rather than delivering speeches, the leaders chose to listen to survivors who bore witness to one of humanity’s darkest chapters.

Survivors used the occasion to warn of the dangers of rising antisemitism and intolerance. Leon Weintraub, a 99-year-old retired physician who was sent to Auschwitz in 1944, expressed his anguish at the resurgence of far-right rhetoric across Europe.

"It grieves me deeply to see in many European countries, but also in Poland, Nazi-style uniforms and slogans openly paraded at marches. It grieves me to see this happening without any consequences," Weintraub said. "These people proclaim themselves as nationalists, but at the same time they proclaim the hateful ideology of German Nazis—an ideology that murdered millions under the swastika."

King Charles, who visited a Jewish Community Center in Krakow before the ceremony, stressed the importance of preserving the memory of the Holocaust. "The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task, and in so doing, we inform our present and shape our future," he said.

The remembrance of Nazi crimes has become increasingly politicized in recent years, fueled by the rise of far-right parties across Europe. On Saturday, controversy erupted after billionaire Elon Musk delivered a video address to supporters of Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, which is currently polling second ahead of the February 23 elections.

In his remarks, Musk appeared to downplay Germany’s historical responsibility for the Holocaust. "I think there's, like, frankly, too much of a focus on past guilt. And we need to move beyond that," he said.

The rally drew sharp criticism, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warning that the rhetoric was disturbingly reminiscent of Nazi-era propaganda. "The words we heard from the main actors of the AfD rally about 'Great Germany' and 'the need to forget German guilt for Nazi crimes' sounded all too familiar and ominous," Tusk said.

As survivors gathered to share their stories one last time, their message was clear: the lessons of Auschwitz must not be forgotten, especially in an era of rising intolerance and revisionism

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