2026 International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

On January 27, 2026, the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities (AIPG) commemorates the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, marking 81 years since the liberation of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005, this day calls on the international community not only to remember the victims of the Holocaust, but also to confront the conditions that made such crimes possible.

The 2026 United Nations theme—“Holocaust Remembrance and Education for Dignity and Human Rights”—speaks directly to AIPG’s mission and work. Holocaust remembrance affirms the dignity of those targeted for destruction, preserves the histories and communities the Nazis sought to erase, and exposes the lethal consequences of antisemitism, dehumanization, and societal indifference when left unchallenged.

This theme is reflected across AIPG’s work. Through programs such as the Raphael Lemkin Seminar and the Bruno and Suzanne Scheidt Refugee Protection Program, the organization supports policymakers and practitioners in developing effective strategies to prevent genocide and mass atrocities. Initiatives such as the Memory Sites and Prevention project, as well as the Citizenship and Democracy project, further examine how responsible and inclusive memory practices, together with education, can mitigate atrocity risk factors in post-atrocity societies and among younger generations.

More than eight decades after the Holocaust, identity-based violence, denial, and distortion continue to threaten democratic institutions and social cohesion worldwide. In this context, remembrance is not solely retrospective; it is a critical tool for prevention. It resists falsehoods, reinforces historical truth, and strengthens our ability to recognize and respond to early warning signs of mass atrocity crimes.

The defense of dignity and universal human rights remains essential to sustainable peace. Remembering the Holocaust reinforces our shared responsibility to protect these rights and to prevent violence rooted in exclusion, racism, discrimination, and dehumanization.

In honoring the memory of all victims and survivors, we reaffirm our determination to continue building a world in which such atrocities are never repeated. As we observe this International Day, let us come together to reflect, to educate, and to ensure that the lessons of history guide our actions toward a future grounded in tolerance, understanding, and compassion.