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Commemoration on January 27 – Holocaust Remembrance Day

On January 27, we remember the victims of National Socialism. This day marks a significant historical event: the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp by the Red Army on January 27, 1945.

Auschwitz: A Place of Horror and a Memorial of History

Auschwitz stands as a symbol of the systematic and industrially organized extermination policy of the Nazi regime. Between 1940 and 1945, 1.3

million people were deported to Auschwitz, of whom 1.1 million were murdered. Over 90 percent of the victims were of Jewish origin. However, other groups were also targeted by Nazi ideology, including Sinti and Roma, political dissidents, queer individuals, prisoners of war, and others who did not fit into the regime’s inhumane worldview.

A day of remembrance with national and international significance

In 1996, then Federal President Roman Herzog declared January 27 as Germany’s national day of remembrance for the victims of National Socialism. Since 2005, this day has also been observed worldwide as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp on January 27, 2025, we published daily videos, posts, and podcast episodes on our Instagram channel under the title "Year of Remembrance 1945:2025", commemorating the victims and victim groups of Nazi crimes. The aim was and remains to honor those who were persecuted, tortured, and murdered under National Socialism. The week was dedicated to remembrance, reflection, and education. On January 27, we launched with a video about the liberation of Auschwitz and addressed the question of when January 27 was officially recognized as a national and international day of remembrance. You can access the video via the following link: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UOqJxqGPIp4

 An often overlooked perspective: The victim group of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)

The project "Kontinuitäten von Anti-Schwarzen-Rassismus vor, während und nach dem Nationalsozialismus. Eine partizipative Erinnerungsintervention", funded by the  "Erinnerung, Verantwortung, Zukunft" Foundation (EVZ) and the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF), examines the historical and contemporary dimensions of anti-Black racism (ABR). It aims to make visible the continuities between colonial racism, Nazi ideology, and modern ABR through scientifically documented biographies of Black individuals who were persecuted during the Nazi era. As part of our Week of Remembrance, we spoke with the project coordinators Clara Wahl and Jasmin Blunt in an episode of our podcast "WeltRechtlich" about making Black biographies visible and linking historical and contemporary perspectives. The discussion aimed to deepen understanding of the structures of anti-Black racism (ABR) and to promote an inclusive, anti-racist culture of remembrance. The episode can be accessed via the following link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7kNEaZ5eelPF6qHLglArm3?si=69b46cf795c840fa

Remembering Beyond January 27: The Crimes of the Nazi Regime in Long-Term Commemoration

The crimes of National Socialism continue to resonate today. We remember to honor the persecuted and murdered, as well as their families, and to sharpen our awareness of the dangers of inhumanity. Only by doing so can we learn from the past—both today and in the future.

There are numerous ways to maintain remembrance of the victims and to continue learning beyond the official week of commemoration. Memorials, archives, and educational institutions play a central role in keeping the memory alive and ensuring that engagement with the Nazi era remains part of the collective consciousness.