Holocaust Remembrance Day

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

The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust serves as a global memorial for the six million Jewish victims and countless other minority groups who perished during the Holocaust. It aims to honour these victims and educate current and future generations about the inherent dangers of hatred, bigotry, and violence. This Observance is perpetuated by the United Nations, aligning with their fundamental principles of acceptance, equality, and human rights which aim to prevent such atrocities from reoccurring.

The General Assembly of the United Nations first implemented this day in 2005, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp. The Holocaust, while a global event, carries particular resonance in the European Union, where many of its horrifying acts took place. The EU encourages every Member State to commemorate Holocaust victims and works diligently to promote Holocaust education throughout schools and community programs. The objective is to keep the memory alive and facilitate and inform discourse about it, reasserting the need for collective remembrance, education and research.

In the European Union, the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust is observed on January 27. On this date, various events, including memorial ceremonies, educational programs, and moments of silence, take place. These events serve as vital reminders of the past and they stress the pivotal need for unity, respect and acceptance within our diverse societies. The EU's involvement and support of this International observance aim to ensure that such horrific history is never forgotten nor repeated.

Top 10 Facts for 2026 Holocaust Remembrance Day in the EU

• The 2026 observance marks the 81st anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, a milestone that serves as a transition period for Holocaust memory as the community focuses on preserving the legacies of the last living survivors.
• The United Nations has designated the official theme for the 2026 commemoration as Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights, which emphasizes the role of remembrance in defending universal human rights and challenging contemporary surges in antisemitism across the continent.
• In a significant shift for the official ceremony at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, the International Auschwitz Council has decided to refrain from all political speeches to ensure the event remains focused exclusively on the voices and testimonies of survivors.
• The main commemorative event at the former camp will take place inside the historic building known as the Central Sauna, a site originally used by the Nazis for the disinfection of prisoners' property and the reception of new transports.
• A major cultural highlight in Brussels includes the performance of an excerpt from the theatre play Like Underwater by the Theatre of Remembrance, which explores the complexities of survival and the persistence of memory.
• The Bridging Generations theme, set by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, encourages citizens to connect with the past through intergenerational stories and the digital preservation of family archives.
• The educational campaign The Art of Remembrance is gaining attention for its focus on the Czech-Scottish artist Marianne Grant, whose drawings created during her imprisonment in the Theresienstadt ghetto and Bergen-Belsen camp serve as vital historical records.
• European Union institutions, in partnership with the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union, are hosting a high-level conference titled Remembering the Past, Shaping the Future to integrate Holocaust education into modern democratic safeguards.
• A traveling exhibition titled Between Life and Death: Stories of Rescue during the Holocaust is touring various European capitals, documenting the efforts of diplomats and ordinary citizens from thirteen different countries who risked their lives to save Jewish families.
• The European Commission has recently launched the European Network of Sites of Holocaust Memory to better protect and promote the historical integrity of lesser-known persecution sites throughout the member states.

In the News and Trending in the EU for Holocaust Remembrance Day

Top things to do in the EU 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
• Watch a film:
  Schindler's List - (1993): This Steven Spielberg-directed drama recounts the story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved more than a thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories.
  The Pianist - (2002): Based on the autobiography of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish-Jewish pianist who survived the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II.
• read a book:
  The Diary of a Young Girl - by Anne Frank: This revealing account of the Holocaust from a child's perspective was written by Anne Frank while she was in hiding during World War II.
  Night - by Elie Wiesel: A deeply haunting account of Wiesel’s time in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz and Buchenwald.