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81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz - announcement

On 27 January 2026, we will commemorate the 81st anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz. The event is held under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki.

The main commemorations will take place in the building known as the Central Sauna on the grounds of the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp. From December 1943, it served as a site for the disinfection of property, a bathhouse for prisoners, and a reception building for new transports. Nearby was a complex of barracks used as warehouses for property plundered from Jews, victims of extermination, as well as gas chamber and crematorium IV.

“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 attend the commemorations, each accompanied by one guest.

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.

The official television signal of the anniversary commemoration event will be produced by Polish Television (TVP) and made available free of charge to all interested media outlets. The broadcast will also be available online on the Memorial’s YouTube channel.

Under an agreement with TVP for the years 2026–2030, the broadcast will also include an international discussion studio featuring figures from Poland and around the world engaged in shaping the memory of Auschwitz. The studio will be available on television, online, and at the Press Center, which will be organized in the auditorium of the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust.

Due to the very limited capacity of the historic space, which will primarily host Survivors, we encourage everyone to follow the commemorations via television or online transmission. A special open sector will also be prepared on the grounds of the Memorial.

Details regarding the commemorations and organizational information will be published at 81.auschwitz.org. Media coverage guidelines will also be available there at the beginning of January 2026. The media accreditation process will begin on 12 January.

By the time the camp was liberated by soldiers of the Red Army, the German Nazis had murdered approximately 1.1 million people in Auschwit, primarily Jews, as well as Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, and people of other nationalities. About 7,000 prisoners were still present in the camp at the time of liberation.