Holocaust Remembrance Day

Auschwitz
The Auschwitz concentration camp is located in Poland. It was built and operated by Nazi Germany during World War II.

January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It’s a day to remember the tragedy of the Holocaust. The Holocaust happened during the Second World War.

During the 1930s, many people in Germany began blaming Jewish people for the country’s problems. They formed a political party called the Nazis. They destroyed or took away the property of German Jews. The Nazis made German Jews move out of their homes. Over time, Nazis forced millions of Jews throughout Europe to live in concentration camps [places where large numbers of people are imprisoned]. In some of these camps, prisoners were forced to work long hours for no pay. In other camps, the Nazis murdered countless prisoners. Over 6 million Jews and 11 million others were killed.

Today, people can visit Holocaust museums around the world. They can take tours of many of the concentration camps. Survivors of the Holocaust share their experiences in these museums. They want to be sure that future generations see the value of human life. And they want to prevent another Holocaust from ever happening again.

What Do You Think? Why do you think it’s important to remember horrible events like the Holocaust? How do museums and special remembrance days help?

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