January 27th marked the 70-year anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland by the Red Army. This date signifies the end to a site that facilitated some of the worlds most heinous and utterly inhumane acts ever committed.
The museum that now sits in the camps place estimates the total dead between 1 million and 1.5 million; most of them being of Jewish heritage. During the span of WWII, it is estimated that between 5 and 6 million Jews died at the hands of Hitler’s Nazis. The gas chambers, smoke stacks and trenches used by firing squads offer a glimpse into the merciless life of both those who were residents of Auschwitz-Birkenau and also all concentration camps.
It is important, however, to not let this day only represent the genocide of a people. The museum- that now sits in place of the concentration camp – is filled with heroine stories of courage, bravery and valor. The acts of defiance of not just those of Jewish heritage, but anyone that dared defied the Third Reich.
Though it is 70 years since the world saw the end of this camp, in some regards we have not advanced as a society. In modern day Europe, as well as globally, Islamaphobia and anti-Semitism have captured headlines regularly as they have begun to disseminate their ideas across nations and regions. Bigotry in any form only stymies cultural advances.
As much as January 27th serves as both a remembrance day for those who perished in the concentrations camps and those who stood up to the Nazis, this day should also be heeded as a warning. It is an example of the cruel and heartless acts that humans are capable of. It is important to note that, though we are 70 years hence, humanity as a whole still allows genocide and war crimes to continue; unfettered in many cases. This day on which we celebrate the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, we must acknowledge where we have come as a society and be honest and critical in how far we still must go.
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