King Charles Will Visit Auschwitz on the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation

King Charles III will pay his respects to victims of the Holocaust with an appearance at the Auschwitz-Birkenau site in Poland on January 27.

This date, also referred to as Liberation Day, is recognized because it was on this day in 1945 when the remaining inmates of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest concentration camp run by Nazi Germany during World War II, were freed. Since then, January 27 has been deemed International Holocaust Remembrance Day by the United Nations General Assembly, a day to commemorate the 6 million Jewish people lost to the Holocaust, as well as all the other victims of Nazi persecution.

On this day, the British monarch will head to Poland along with other international leaders to take part in memorial events on the 80th anniversary of the liberation. And the king’s invitation is no surprise, given that he’s been patron of the U.K.’s Holocaust Memorial Day Trust since 2017.

The trust is a national charity that funds various local activities and services provided during the U.K.’s Holocaust Memorial Day. Fittingly, Charles is also set to host a Holocaust education event today at Buckingham Palace; one of his guests will include concentration camp survivor Manfred Goldberg, who will share his powerful story with attendees.

king charles in a meeting
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Last year, Charles commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day with a moving statement. He said: “The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2024 is the Fragility of Freedom, a stark reminder to us all how freedom can so easily be lost when it is taken for granted, and how crucial it is, therefore, to learn from those who bear witness to the horrors of the Holocaust and all genocides. Tragically, we live in a world where violence and acts of unspeakable cruelty are still perpetrated against people for no other reason than their religion, their race, or their beliefs. In recommitting ourselves to remembering the horrors of the past, we take an important step in creating a safer, freer world today and for future generations.”

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