Remembering those who went through the horrific events in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s is important.Commemorations can take many forms. Soon after the war, survivors of Auschwitz made sure to preserve the site as a memorial, and it is today one of the largest memorial sites, with up to 1.4 million visitors per year as of 2013.
“In memory of over 30 thousand Jews from Będzin who have settled here for ages and generations and have been taken away and murdered by the Nazis 1939 – 1945. The authorities and inhabitants of Będzin, August 2005”
In Będzin, a memorial was erected for those who lost their lives during the Holocaust. There is also an annual ceremony held on the day of the final liquidation of Jews from Będzin. The ceremony includes a prayer for the dead, testimonies, and speeches from invited guests. Today, a few young Polish residents of Będzin try to preserve the history of their former Jewish neighbors. Commemorations today occur on local, national, and international levels. These include the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz on that day in 1945, and Yom HaShoah, the Holocaust Remembrance day held every year in Jewish communities.
For more information on these memorials and days of remembrance:
Auschwitz-Birkenau: Memorial and Museum
Watch the presentation of Holocaust scholar James E. Young: