Eight decades ago, the Auschwitz concentration camp, a site of immense tragedy and suffering, was finally released from the grip of oppression.

On January 27, 1945, a significant event took place that marked the end of unimaginable suffering and loss. This day, now known as Auschwitz Liberation Day, marks the liberation of the Nazi extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau by the soldiers of the Red Army.

Auschwitz, originally called Oswiecim, is a city located in Poland. During World War II, the Nazis constructed a large extermination camp here, where over 1 million people were murdered, mostly Jewish. The primary purpose of the camp was to murder Jewish women and men, as well as Polish women and men, Sinti and Roma, people with disabilities, and those who wanted a different kind of government.

The Holocaust, also known as Shoah, refers to the murder of over 6 million Jewish women and men by the Nazis between 1939 and 1945. This horrific act of genocide was a defining moment in human history, and its consequences continue to resonate today.

World War II took place between 1939 and 1945 and ended with Germany and Japan's defeat. The Nazi regime, also known as National Socialism, ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945, invaded other countries, and was responsible for the war. Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazis, ordered the attack on Poland on September 1, 1939, marking the beginning of the war.

The Nazis' ideology was hostile to foreigners, homosexuals, lesbians, and foreign religions. Those who still hold these beliefs are called neo-Nazis. Pavel Taussig, a survivor of the Auschwitz extermination camp, has expressed concern about the increase in people in Europe voting for right-wing parties and about young people knowing little about the Holocaust.

In Germany, January 27 is the memorial day for the victims of National Socialism. The politician who proclaimed this day was the German Federal President Roman Herzog on January 27, 1996. Every year, the Holocaust is remembered at the federal level with a memorial hour featuring contemporary witnesses and survivors of the Holocaust.

Pavel Taussig, now 91 years old, is one such survivor. He has shared his experiences to ensure that the world never forgets the horrors of the Holocaust. His voice, and the voices of all those who have spoken out, serve as a reminder of the importance of tolerance, understanding, and the rejection of hatred and prejudice.

On this Auschwitz Liberation Day, we remember the victims of the Holocaust and honour the survivors who have shared their stories. We must continue to learn from history to ensure that such atrocities never happen again.

Eight decades ago, the Auschwitz concentration camp, a site of immense tragedy and suffering, was finally released from the grip of oppression.