World leaders will be attending the ceremony at Auschwitz on Monday including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Britain’s King Charles III.
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On Sunday, hundreds gathered at the Auschwitz Memorial in Wertheimpark, Amsterdam, to honor the victims of the Holocaust on its 80th anniversary. Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof joined the solemn event, standing alongside survivors and members of the public.
Jacques Grishaver, representing the Dutch Auschwitz Committee, spoke about the enduring pain of the Holocaust and the responsibility it places on humanity.
“The pain has not gone away,” he said. “But it has always given me the strength to fight for a world in which 'never again Auschwitz' is not just a promise, but becomes a reality. ‘Never Again Auschwitz’ is more than a cry of remembrance. It is an assignment.”
The commemorations will continue on Monday at Auschwitz-Birkenau in southern Poland, the site where over one million people—Jews, Poles, Roma, Sinti, Soviet prisoners of war, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others—were murdered by Nazi Germany. The anniversary of its liberation by Soviet forces on January 27, 1945, remains one of the most powerful symbols of the Holocaust.
This year’s observance is particularly poignant, as survivors, now in their advanced years, continue to bear witness to atrocities they endured. The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum expects around 50 survivors to attend Monday's events, joined by political leaders, royalty, and dignitaries from around the world.
Among the survivors is Barbara Donezka, who revisited the barracks where she was imprisoned as a child. Standing by the wooden bed she once occupied, she reflected, “Well, the memories are coming back. I wonder how I even survived this—the hunger, the cold, the fear for my life.”
One of her most painful memories is the death of her young friend Helena, who was only four years old. “Oh, how horrible that was, we were crying so much,” Donezka recalled. “It was the first time I ever got in touch with death. I had thought we are not going to die. I thought only adults would die, we still have so much time.”
World leaders attending the ceremony include German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Britain’s King Charles III. Dignitaries from Austria, Italy, Poland, and other nations will also be present.
The anniversary has, however, stirred political questions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not attend due to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Instead, Education Minister Yoav Kisch will represent Israel.
Auschwitz, now a museum and memorial site, remains a global symbol of the Holocaust and the dangers of hatred, racism, and antisemitism. In 2024, more than 1.83 million visitors came to learn about its history. The site preserves artifacts and stories, ensuring that the lessons of the past are passed down to future generations.
As the world comes together to remember the victims and survivors of Auschwitz, the anniversary serves as both a commemoration of past suffering and a call to protect the values of freedom, tolerance, and human dignity for generations to come.