The anniversary of the liberation of KL Auschwitz-Birkenau

About 300 former Auschwitz prisoners will take part in the commemoration event at the former KL Auschwitz-Birkenau. Over a hundred of them will come to Auschwitz thanks to the support of, inter alia, the World Jewish Congress.

Leading politicians – representatives of the governments of 42 countries, the European Union, the Council of Europe and the UNESCO have confirmed their presence. The President of the Republic of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, has called for the meeting to be free of any political connotations. In his interview for Gazeta Wyborcza, he said: “The witnesses of that drama are those who should be primary speakers. Let us hear the survivors.”

The anniversary ceremony will begin at 3.30 p. m., in a tent set up near the Death Gate of the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp.  The programme includes the ecumenical prayer and wreath laying ceremony at the Death Wall in the courtyard of Block 11. The ceremony will end with paying homage to the camp victims and lighting vigil candles at the monument located between the remnants of the two largest Birkenau crematoria.