**Auschwitz Remembers: Survivors Gather for 80th Liberation Anniversary**

**On January 27, 2025, Auschwitz will host survivors and prominent leaders, as voices of those who lived through the horrors of the camp resonate in a plea for remembrance and prevention of future atrocities.**

About 50 Holocaust survivors are set to gather at Auschwitz-Birkenau to mark the landmark anniversary of its liberation on January 27, 1945. In attendance will be notable figures including King Charles, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, but the focus remains on the experiences of the survivors, most of whom are now in their late 80s and 90s.

Their core message is clear: share the harrowing reality of what transpired in these camps and advocate for a world without such horrors. "Every soul on this earth has the right to live," asserts 94-year-old Jona Laks, a survivor who endured the gruesome medical experiments conducted by Josef Mengele at Auschwitz. She highlights that Auschwitz served as a model tool for systematic extermination, with few emerging alive.

Though temperatures have recently risen, the frailty of many attendees necessitated the construction of a large, heated tent over the infamous "Death Gate" entrance to provide warmth during these poignant moments. The day will commence with survivors, alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda, laying a wreath at the "Death Wall," a site marking the execution of thousands of Polish prisoners, Jews, and Soviet POWs.

As past commemoration events have varied significantly, this year deliberately eschews political speeches, marking a pause in Russian representation due to ongoing conflicts stemming from the invasion of Ukraine. The historical backdrop reveals the ruthless efficiency of the Nazi regime, which oversaw the establishment of six extermination camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau. By late 1942, the complex had expanded to include multiple gas chambers and crematoria, its sinister design engineered for mass murder.

Laks recounts the harrowing experience of arriving at Birkenau, facing the chaos of selection upon disembarkation, which would often lead the majority to their deaths. She was saved only by her sister's plea to avoid separation, which caught the attention of Mengele, known for his notorious dual experiments on twins.

The stark statistics are haunting: nearly a million Jews and tens of thousands of other prisoners lost their lives in this grim locale. As survivors such as Laks journey back to commemorate, they not only remember the past, but they also implore the world to recognize the ongoing dangers of indifference.

Despite the grim history, the site remains a hub of education and remembrance, and it continues to draw millions of visitors annually. Younger visitors grappling with the weight of the site’s history express disbelief at the atrocities.

In today’s political climate, where far-right movements gain ground across Europe, educators stress the importance of historical awareness. Historian Susanne Willems recently led discussions at Auschwitz to guide officials in recognizing authoritarianism’s warning signs and the necessity of prioritizing human rights.

As ceremonies unfold, some survivors, like Italy's Liliana Segre, will participate from afar, facing a resurgence in antisemitism fueled by online vitriol. Segre’s continuous struggle against prejudice emphasizes the ongoing relevance of Auschwitz's lessons: remembrance is both a tribute to past victims and a commitment to safeguarding future generations against hatred and violence.