International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

Holocaust Memorial Day is a day commemorating the millions of Jews and minority groups who were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust in the 1930s and 40s. The Holocaust, a systematic and state-planned program to kill millions of Jews and other minority groups in Europe, was one of the most horrific genocides in history with an estimated 11 million lives lost. The purpose of the day is to encourage discussion of this difficult subject in order to make sure that it never happens again.

In 2005, Holocaust Memorial Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly. January 27, the remembrance date, is significant as it was the date that Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest and most infamous Nazi extermination camp in Poland, was liberated in 1945. The Holocaust is marked by many different days around the world. In Israel, the day is known as Yom HaShoah and begins when the sun sets on May 4 and finishes in the evening of May 5.

Top 8 Facts for International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust in 2026

• The 2026 observance of the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust will be guided by the official United Nations theme Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights, which emphasizes the role of memory in defending universal human rights today.
• The main international ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau will be held in the building known as the Central Sauna at the Auschwitz II-Birkenau site, a location once used for the mass disinfection and humiliation of prisoners.
• A major highlight of the year includes the early 2026 opening of the Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Boston, which features a permanent installation of an authentic Nazi-era railcar and the interactive Dimensions in Testimony theater where visitors can converse with holographically projected survivors.
• The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust has designated Bridging Generations as a secondary call-to-action theme for the year, focusing on the responsibility of the children and grandchildren of survivors to carry forward the historical record as the first-hand witness generation passes away.
• The 2026 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is set to feature the documentary The Last Twins, narrated by Liev Schreiber, which uses intimate archival material to tell the story of Erno "Zvi" Spiegel’s efforts to protect young twins from medical experiments at Auschwitz.
• A significant literary release scheduled for January 2026 is the true-crime history The Einstein Vendetta: Hitler, Mussolini and a True Story of Murder by Thomas Harding, which details the pursuit of justice following the 1944 murder of Robert Einstein’s family.
• In New York City, the landmark exhibition Anne Frank The Exhibition at the Center for Jewish History has been granted a rare extension through February 1, 2026, allowing visitors to view artifacts never before seen outside of the Netherlands.
• For the first time, the official commemorations at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial will feature no political speeches, a decision made by the International Auschwitz Council to ensure the entire program focuses exclusively on the voices and recorded testimonies of victims and survivors.

In the News and Trending in the US for International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

Top things to do in the US for this observance

• Join social media campaigns that promote awareness of the Holocaust, try tweeting using the hashtag #holocaustmemorial or #remembranceday.
• Read one of the thought provoking, gripping and saddening accounts of the Holocaust. Some choice picks include:
  1) The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
  2) Maus by Art Spiegelman
  3) Eichmann in Jerusalem by Hannah Arendt
• Visit the largest extermination/concentration camp from the Holocaust. The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, located in Poland, allows visitors to see the camp and learn more about the atrocities committed inside.
• Find a HMD activity near you by consulting their website. There are many different workshops and discussions held year round. Or if there are none near you organize an activity yourself to mark HMD in your community. The HMD website has a selection of useful information on how to do this.
• Watch a movie about the Holocaust. Some popular picks: Schindler's List (1993),Life is Beautiful (1997), The Pianist (2002), The Boy in Striped Pajamas (2008), and Auschwitz (2011).