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  • Holocaust survivors recall horrors of Auschwitz as Prince William and Kate attend London memorial


    ‘Of those who lived to see freedom, now there is only a handful’

    Marian Turski speaking at podium with microphones

    We are now hearing from Marian Turski, a survivor of Auschwitz. He is a member of the International Auschwitz Council.

    He begins by giving his “warmest thoughts and feelings” to fellow survivors, “who have shared this misery with me. The inmates”, he says.

    “It is absolutely understandable, if not downright obvious, that people, that the media, turn to us, to those that survived, so that we share with them our memories,” he adds, according to a translation.

    He says this small minority of survivors “went though all those selections”.

    “Those who lived to see freedom, there were hardly, hardly, none. So few. And now, there is only a handful.”

    Turski says this is why he believes their thoughts should go towards the millions of victims “who will never tell us what they experienced or they felt, just because they were consumed by that mass destruction.”

    He mentions a poem that has survived, which he says “goes beyond anything that the mind can imagine”.

    He reads a bit of the letter that the poet wrote to her friend, she was killed.

    The letter reads: “‘I’m going to a very distinct place, a station which is unknown for it is not on any map. There is the sky hanging over the station like a huge black lid.”



    On January 27th, Prince William and Kate Middleton attended a memorial event in London to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. Among the attendees were several Holocaust survivors who shared their harrowing experiences at Auschwitz, one of the most infamous concentration camps during World War II.

    As the survivors recounted the horrors they endured, including the loss of loved ones, forced labor, and starvation, Prince William and Kate listened intently, showing their respect and empathy for the survivors.

    The event served as a stark reminder of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and the importance of remembering and honoring the millions of lives lost. It also highlighted the resilience and strength of the survivors who have bravely shared their stories to ensure that future generations never forget the lessons of history.

    As Prince William and Kate paid their respects at the memorial, they reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Holocaust education and remembrance efforts, pledging to continue the fight against anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination.

    The memorial event was a powerful and moving reminder of the enduring impact of the Holocaust and the importance of standing up against injustice and intolerance. It serves as a call to action for everyone to remember the past and work towards a more peaceful and inclusive future.

    Tags:

    holocaust survivors, Auschwitz, Prince William, Kate Middleton, London memorial, WWII, genocide, Jewish history, survivor testimonies, historical tragedy, Nazi atrocities, remembrance ceremony, royal visit, Holocaust memorial, WWII memorial, concentration camp survivors, historical remembrance, WWII history, Holocaust remembrance, Holocaust education

    #Holocaust #survivors #recall #horrors #Auschwitz #Prince #William #Kate #attend #London #memorial

  • Holocaust survivors recall horrors of Auschwitz as Prince William and Kate attend London memorial


    Princess of Wales to attend UK Holocaust memorial this afternoon

    Sean Coughlan
    Royal correspondent

    Close up shot of the Princess of Wales. Behind her a banner says Life-saving research in white lettering on a pink backgroundPA Media

    Catherine, the Princess
    of Wales, will be attending a Holocaust Memorial Day event in the UK this
    afternoon.

    It was already known that Prince William would be at the
    memorial, but it’s been announced that Catherine will be there alongside him,
    as she continues her return from ill-health.

    The event will bring together religious and civic leaders, as
    well as survivors of the Holocaust.

    The royals have been very committed to these commemorations.
    King Charles is taking part in the memorial at Auschwitz in Poland.

    Queen Camilla, at a reception last week hosted by the Anne Frank
    Trust, delivered a strong speech about the need to prevent prejudice.

    “Today, more than ever, with levels of antisemitism at their
    highest level for a generation; and disturbing rises in Islamophobia and other forms
    of racism and prejudice, we must heed this warning,” said the Queen.

    “The deadly seeds of the Holocaust were sown at first in small
    acts of exclusion, of aggression and of discrimination,” she said.



    Holocaust survivors gathered in London today to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the infamous concentration camp where over one million people were killed during World War II. Prince William and Kate Middleton attended the memorial service, listening to the harrowing stories of survivors who recalled the horrors they endured at the hands of the Nazis.

    As the world commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is crucial to remember the atrocities that took place during this dark chapter of history. The survivors who spoke at the memorial shared their heartbreaking experiences of losing loved ones, enduring starvation and torture, and witnessing unspeakable acts of cruelty.

    Prince William and Kate expressed their solidarity with the survivors, laying a wreath in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. They listened attentively to the stories of survival and resilience, honoring the courage and strength of those who lived through such unimaginable horrors.

    As we reflect on the past and pay tribute to those who lost their lives, let us also remember the importance of standing up against hatred, intolerance, and discrimination in our own time. The lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten, and we must continue to work towards a more inclusive and compassionate world for all.

    Tags:

    Holocaust survivors, Auschwitz, Prince William, Kate, London memorial, World War II, Nazi atrocities, survivor testimonies, Holocaust remembrance, historical trauma, concentration camps, genocide, remembrance ceremony, royal visit, Auschwitz-Birkenau, war crimes, survivor stories, Nazi regime, anti-Semitism, Holocaust education, historical significance.

    #Holocaust #survivors #recall #horrors #Auschwitz #Prince #William #Kate #attend #London #memorial

  • When Auschwitz Becomes a Theme Park


    Holocaust and tourism are a strange pairing: a road trip to hell. At Auschwitz, I saw a man check his Tinder, and I watched a tour descend into a gas chamber with obvious excitement. But as survivors die—we’re coming up, this month, on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz—and as antisemitic theories doubting the Holocaust spread again, these places survive as the last connection to the truth.

    Why we tour these sites of human depravity is a subject I’ve written about before, and it’s the theme of the new movie A Real Pain. Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, the film is about Jewish American cousins Benji, played by Kieran Culkin, and David, played by Eisenberg, visiting Poland on a guided trip alongside a lonely divorcée, a married couple, and a Rwandan genocide survivor who has converted to Judaism. Benji and David see the sites and visit their late grandmother’s childhood home. She escaped the Holocaust, and bequeathed them the money for the trip because she wanted them to understand themselves better. It’s a tender, touching film about how trauma cascades down generations, and it’s interesting to see what is, essentially, a Holocaust film set many years after the fact.

    Benji is warm and wild, while David is conventional and shy. Both are flailing. In Lublin’s Old Jewish Cemetery, Benji scolds the tour guide for using too many facts when discussing the Jews who died there. “These are real people,” he rants. “This is making the whole thing feel really cold.”

    But that’s Poland. When I went in 2021, and again in 2023, I found there was an ambivalence toward Jews and, as Benji also notices in the film, an awful emotional deadness.



    Auschwitz, the infamous Nazi concentration camp where over a million people were systematically murdered during the Holocaust, is a place of unimaginable tragedy and horror. It is a solemn reminder of the darkest chapter in human history, a place where the atrocities committed by the Nazis must never be forgotten or trivialized.

    However, in recent years, there has been a disturbing trend of Auschwitz being treated as a tourist attraction or a theme park. Visitors flock to the site, taking selfies and posing for photos in front of the infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign, seemingly more interested in ticking off a box on their travel itinerary than paying their respects to the victims of the Holocaust.

    The commercialization of Auschwitz is a deeply troubling development, turning a place of profound sorrow and remembrance into a place of entertainment and consumerism. Tours are marketed as “educational experiences” or “historical adventures,” with little regard for the dignity and solemnity that should be afforded to such a sacred site.

    When Auschwitz becomes a theme park, it diminishes the memory of the millions of people who perished there. It cheapens their suffering and devalues the importance of remembering the Holocaust. It is a stark reminder of the dangers of commodifying tragedy and turning it into a spectacle for profit.

    We must remember Auschwitz not as a theme park, but as a place of profound sadness and reflection. We must honor the memory of the victims and ensure that their stories are never forgotten. Auschwitz should never be reduced to a mere tourist attraction – it is a somber reminder of the ultimate consequences of hatred and intolerance, and must be treated with the respect and reverence it deserves.

    Tags:

    1. Auschwitz tourism
    2. Dark tourism
    3. Holocaust remembrance
    4. Historical sites
    5. Controversial attractions
    6. Ethics of memorial sites
    7. Auschwitz visitor experience
    8. Holocaust education
    9. Impact of commercialization
    10. Cultural heritage tourism

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