69 years ago today, towards the end of World War II, the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz was liberated by the Allies. The anniversary of that event, already observed as a day of solemn reflection in Germany and other countries, was first observed as Holocaust Memorial Day in the UK in 2001. Hosted by a different city each year, its main objective is to ensure that the atrocities perpetrated at Auschwitz and similar camps are neither forgotten nor repeated. It also serves to draw attention to victims of genocide and other crimes against humanity elsewhere in the modern world, to fight bigotry and promote ideals such as tolerance, justice and equality, through education and example.
This year, the UK event is being hosted in Manchester. Through a partnership with the National Archives, Fold3 has scanned and indexed valuable records that help tell the story of the Holocaust and the website, National Archives Holocaust Records, explores everything from Holocaust assets to death camp records to interrogation reports from the Nuremburg trials.
