Auschwitz was liberated 80 years ago. The spotlight is on survivors as their numbers dwindle
Associated PressJAN 25
Survivors Mark 80th Anniversary of Auschwitz Liberation
Above: Holocaust survivors take part in the ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland, on Jan. 27, 2024. Image copyright: Andrzej Iwanczuk/Contributor/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Since the liberation of Auschwitz 80 years ago, it remains more imperative than ever to remember the atrocities carried out there and at other Nazi death camps so that such horrors are never again repeated. This is particularly because surveys show that a growing number of young people are completely unaware of what took place.
Establishment-critical narrative
While world leaders will make well-meaning statements about the need to remember the Holocaust, the reality is that far-right parties are once again prevalent across the Western world. Intolerance in the form of Islamophobia and anti-immigrant rhetoric is now widespread. Least of all, genocidal violence in Gaza shows that lessons of the past have not been learned.