Auschwitz's Remaining Survivors Return & Urge World Never to Forget

Yesterday marked the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.

Roughly 300 Auschwitz survivors returned to the death camp yesterday, under remarkably different circumstances than when they first arrived over seven decades ago. This time, having survived the notorious place, they had two messages for the world: never forget and never again.

There are fewer and fewer survivors for each landmark anniversary, and some individuals voiced their concern that this might be the last such anniversary where a significant number of survivors can actually return to the death camp and participate in the ceremonies. Still, there is a chance that hundreds will survive to be there for the 75th anniversary, although the point is well taken.

Indeed, the years are getting on, and no one is getting any younger. So, we need to capitalize on the opportunity to listen to survivors of such a place and experience while we have it, because the world is getting to be a more tense place, and there are some similarities to the world as it was before World War II and the Holocaust. That means that we have to take notice of these similarities, and make sure to learn from the mistakes of the past, because we do not want to be condemned to repeat them.

Here are a few final links on this subject that I thought would be worth sharing, as the 70th anniversary now has passed, and the spotlight will shift to the next big story. Remember, the events of seven decades ago used to be breaking news, and so shocking were they, that they are remembered vividly all of these decades later. Indeed, the tremors of that shock can still be felt today. We need to capitalize on the opportunity to learn from them, so that we never again have to learn of such things under breaking news headlines. 


Video:  A return to Auschwitz by USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/world/2015/01/23/22178395/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatodaycomworld-topstories





Auschwitz's last survivors urge a troubled Europe not to forget By Wiktor Szary and Wojciech Zurawski, January 27, 2015:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-2928038/Last-survivors-recall-Auschwitz-ask-lessons-learned.html

http://news.yahoo.com/last-survivors-recall-auschwitz-ask-lessons-learned-103112292.html;_ylt=AwrBJR8w2chUhjwA9B3QtDMD




Last survivors recall Auschwitz, ask if lessons learned By REUTERS, January 26, 2015:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-2927508/Last-survivors-recall-Auschwitz-ask-lessons-learned.html




300 Auschwitz survivors to return to the Nazi death camp by South China Morning Post, January 26, 2015:

http://article.wn.com/view/2015/01/26/300_Auschwitz_survivors_to_return_to_the_Nazi_death_camp/




Auschwitz Town Haunted by Death, Even 70 Years Later Horror Still Stalks Those Who Lived in Osweicim by Wiktor Szary and Wojciech Zurawski, January 26, 2015:

http://forward.com/articles/213481/auschwitz-town-haunted-by-death-even--years-late/




Spielberg: 70 years after Holocaust Jews still face anti-Semitism By Wiktor Szary and Wojciech Zurawski, January 26, 2015:

http://news.yahoo.com/spielberg-70-years-holocaust-jews-still-face-anti-231155020.html;_ylt=AwrBJR9g2chUMkkAgoPQtDMD




Clerical error saved Holocaust survivor from Auschwitz gas chambers By Michael Walsh of Yahoo News, January 27, 2015:

http://news.yahoo.com/auschwitz-survivor-saved-from-gas-chambers-by-clerical-error----174227062.html