OTD, 27 January: Holocaust Memorial Day

Kindertransport Memorial, Manchester

On this day #OTD, 27th January 1945, Russian soldiers liberated the notorious Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland, beginning the grisly discovery of one of the world’s greatest human rights atrocities: the Holocaust and mass extermination of Jewish peoples. The anniversary has been the focus for United Nations International Holocaust Remembrance Day, coordinated in Britain since 2001 by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, with annual themes – which for 2022 is ‘One Day’. The day remembers the persecuted minorities – LGBT, disabled, gypsy communities, and many more – who were victims of WW2 Nazi persecution; and genocides that have since followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur, in the hope that there may be One Day in the future with no genocide.

Holocaust Memorial Day in Wales is marked by many communities and individuals, with a national ceremony in Cardiff’s City Hall, lit up pink in memorial.

Wales’ Peace Heritage holds some amazing stories of Welsh people who risked their lives to save many hundreds of mostly children through the Kindertransport – an organised rescue effort in the 9 months leading up to WW2. Explore more below.

OTD is a series of features marking ‘Peace100‘ – a centenary for Wales’ Peace movements.