Over 1.1 million people were murdered at Auschwitz, including nearly a million Jews. On the day of liberation 80 years ago, only 7,000 were saved.
By Barbara Erling and Kuba Stezycki OSWIECIM, Poland (Reuters) -Auschwitz survivors were being joined by world leaders on Monday to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German death camp by Soviet troops,
At Auschwitz, the Germans left behind barracks and watchtowers, the remains of gas chambers and the hair and personal belongings of people killed there. The “Arbeit macht frei” (work will set you free) gate is recognized the world over.
On the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, some of the remaining survivors share their stories and tell NBC News' Jesse Kirsch that their experiences should serve as a warning now.
The ceremony is widely regarded as the last major observance likely to see a significant number of survivors in attendance.
In all, 56 survivors gathered under a huge tent on Monday set up over a gate and railway tracks at the site of the former camp.
About 50 survivors are joining King Charles and world leaders for commemorations including a service and speeches.
In all, the Nazi regime murdered 6 million Jews from all over Europe, annihilating two-thirds of Europe's Jews and one-third of all Jews worldwide. In 2005, the United Nations designated Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Silence pervades the site of Auschwitz-Birkenau today. Sometimes the only sounds are the soft footsteps of visitors, people who come from all over the world to mourn and to learn, and the voices of their guides speaking in hushed tones into microphones trying to explain the ungraspable.
Among 34,000 people in the town of Oświęcim is just one Jew – a young Israeli named Hila Weisz-Gut. It’s an interesting choice of residence, given the most famous feature of the town is its proximity to the Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz – where at least 1.
Monday is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which marks 80 years since the Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated. CBS News New York's Jennifer McLogan reports.