Today, 27 January, marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945.
This day is now recognised as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.
I have now visited three Nazi-era concentration camps: Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg (1936–1945), Auschwitz (1940–1945), and Dachau (1933–1945). Each visit left me with different emotions, but Dachau (pic below), in particular, was the most emotional for me.
The Holocaust resulted in the genocide of six million Jewish people, along with countless others from marginalised groups, including Gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and political prisoners. It is hard to imagine the devastating impact on children, adults, and entire families whose lives were torn apart in the most horrific ways.
What disturbs me is the use of similar language and rhetoric by individuals, groups, governments, and media outlets today. The echoes of hate, intolerance, and discrimination are still with us, and we must never forget the atrocities of the past, as we work toward a more inclusive and compassionate world.
We must continue to educate people about the Holocaust’s lessons, support humanity today in building peace efforts, and challenge hatred, anti-Semitism, racism, homophobia and lies.
How to visit these concentration camps:
- Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg (Germany): train from Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof (main station) to Oranienburg, which takes around 40 minutes. From there, it’s a 20-minute walk to the memorial site. There is a bus but I found the walk easy. Information can be found on the official Sachsenhausen Memorial website here.
- Auschwitz (Poland): To visit Auschwitz, take a train from Kraków Główny (main station) to Oświęcim, which takes about 90 minutes. The camp is about a 20-minute walk from the train station. For more details, you can visit the official Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum website
- Dachau (Germany): To get to Dachau from Munich, take the S2 S-Bahn (suburban train) from Munich’s Hauptbahnhof (main station) to Dachau station, which takes around 20 minutes. The memorial site is about a 10-minute walk from the station. More information is available on the official Dachau Memorial website.
I just saw a dateline episode where a 23 year old hung his girlfriend and said he thought that she would die in 5 minutes but took 30 minutes and stood to time how long it took for her to die. He was upset bc her dog just stood there and did nothing. He showed no remorse and said he wasn’t going to feel about it bc he didn’t want to be sad for the rest of his life. So, yes, we will always have psychopaths. Also, Khmer Rouge, etc…