Holocaust Memorial Day

Holocaust Memorial Day Image of red centre purple flame on gold background

Holocaust Memorial Day encourages remembrance in a world scarred by genocide.

Holocaust Memorial Day – the international day takes place on 27 January every year to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other LGBT, Romany, political and people with disabilities killed under Nazi persecution of marganlised groups and in genocides that followed in CambodiaRwandaBosnia and Darfur.

27 January marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.

The Holocaust threatened the fabric of civilisation, and genocide must still be resisted every day. Our world often feels fragile and vulnerable and we cannot be complacent. Even in the UK, prejudice and the language of hatred must be challenged by us all.

Holocaust Memorial Day is for everyone. Each year across the UK, thousands of people come together to learn more about the past and take action to create a safer future. People learn more, empathise more and do more.

Together we bear witness for those who endured genocide, and honour the survivors and all those whose lives were changed beyond recognition.

Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) is the charity established and funded by the UK Government to promote and support Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) in the UK. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is the Patron.

HMD has taken place in the UK since 2001, with a UK Commemorative Ceremony and more than 10,000 local activities taking place all across the UK on or around 27 January each year.

The UK played a leading role in establishing HMD as an international day of commemoration in 2000, when 46 governments signed the Stockholm Declaration.

The impact film below showcases five Holocaust Memorial Day activities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the significant impact they had on those who took part.