Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) takes place each year on 27 January. It was on this date in 1945 that Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp, was liberated. Holocaust Memorial Day is an international day to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution and in genocides that followed.
HMD is for everyone. Each year across the UK, thousands of people come together to learn more about the past and take action to create a safer future.
Annual commemoration
The Bournemouth and Poole Holocaust Memorial Day Committee’s annual commemoration will be taking place on Sunday 28 January at the Lighthouse Poole from 2pm to 4.30pm.
The theme for HMD 2024 is ‘Fragility of Freedom’ and we will be remembering the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda (7 April 1994 – 15 July 1994) and the 70th anniversary of the Roma Genocide in Auschwitz (2 August 1944). We will also be hearing from someone who very recently felt the effect of the Fragility of Freedom.
During the event, you'll hear the testimony of a Holocaust survivor as told by his daughter. The number of Holocaust survivors who are still alive to tell their stories is dwindling fast and those who are still alive are reluctant to travel very far. As a result, our speaker is from an organisation called Generation 2 Generation which provides speakers to tell their family Holocaust stories using eye-witness testimony.
Please note that entry is by ticket only. Tickets are free and available through Eventbrite and from the box office at the Lighthouse by calling 01202 280000.