81st ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF GERMAN NAZI CONCENTRATION AND EXTERMINATION CAMP AUSCHWITZ
27 JANUARY 2026

On 27 January 2026, we will commemorate the 81st anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz. The main commemoration event, which will begin at 4:00 p.m., will take place in the so-called central sauna building on the grounds of the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the ruins of the gas chamber and crematorium IV.

The event will be held under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki.

“After the 80th anniversary of the liberation, which resonated widely around the world, we can all see that memory is a great gift from the Survivors—one that was often underestimated in the past. It is within memory that we can find the much-needed points of reference, wise warnings, essential safeguards, and guidance that reaches beyond our own times. That is why this and future anniversaries will increasingly focus on the words of the Survivors—both those who are still with us and those who, in the past, recorded their experiences, memories, testimonies, and warnings,” said the director of the Auschwitz Museum, Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywiński.

All Auschwitz Survivors are invited to the commemoration event, each with one accompanying person. Please contact the organizing team directly.

In order to fully focus on the voices of the Victims and Survivors of Auschwitz, a decision was made to refrain from any political speeches on this particular day and at this particular place. This decision was unanimously supported by the International Auschwitz Council.

Due to the very limited number of places in the historic space, where we will primarily be hosting the Survivors, we encourage everyone to watch the broadcast on television or online. A special open sector will also be prepared at the Memorial Site.

Until the liberation of some 7 thousand prisoners remaining at the site of the camp by soldiers of the Red Army, the German Nazis murdered approx. 1.1 million people in Auschwitz, mostly Jews, but also Poles, the Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and people of other nationalities.

We talk about the history of Auschwitz in our online lessons and our podcast "On Auschwitz." Thanks to the "Auschwitz. In Front of Your Eyes" platform you can take an online guided tour of the Memorial from any place in the world.

For the world today, Auschwitz is a symbol of the Holocaust and the atrocities of World War II. In 2005 the United Nations declared 27 January as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.