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Vienna, 27 January 2025 – Every year on 27 January, the international community comes together to commemorate the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The United Nations General Assembly chose this day to mark the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp in 1945.
On this day, the United Nations in Vienna solemnly observed the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. The event, held under the theme “Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights,” was organized by the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN in Vienna and the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), with the support of the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, in cooperation with the U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna.
The commemoration began with viewing the exhibitions: “Auschwitz – A Place on Earth: The Auschwitz Album” and “Lest We Forget.” These exhibits served as powerful visual testaments to the atrocities of the Holocaust and as reminders of the importance of remembrance and education in preventing such horrors from occurring again.
The solemn ceremony featured remarks from distinguished speakers, including:
- Ms. Ghada Waly, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV),
- H.E. Ambassador David Roet, Permanent Representative of Israel to the UN in Vienna,
- Mr. Howard Solomon, Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna,
- Ms. Dina Porat, Senior Academic Adviser at Yad Vashem, and
- Holocaust Survivor Mr. Dirk “Dicky” Adler shared his moving testimony of resilience and survival.
The ceremony also included a heartfelt prayer by Chief Cantor Shmuel Barzilai and a musical performance by Israeli soprano Miriam Hajiyeva, accompanied by pianist Almog Aharon, which added a reflective dimension to the occasion.
UNIS Officer-in-Charge/Deputy to the Director, Ms. Sonja Wintersberger, moderated the program with grace and solemnity, emphasizing the need to honour the victims’ memory and uphold human rights and dignity for all.
Following the commemoration, attendees were invited to a screening of the award-winning 2023 documentary “UnBroken” by filmmaker Beth Lane. The film chronicles the seven Weber siblings who evaded certain capture and death and ultimately escaped Nazi Germany following their mother’s incarceration and murder at Auschwitz. After being hidden in a laundry hut by a benevolent farmer, the children spent two years alone in war-torn Germany. Emboldened by their father’s mandate that they ‘always stay together,’ the children used their own cunning and instincts to fight through hunger, loneliness, rape, bombings, and fear. Their journey culminates with a painful ultimatum: when separated from their father. They are told that they must declare themselves orphans in order to escape to a new life in America. Unbeknownst to them, this salvation would become what would finally tear them apart, not to be reunited for another 40 years. The film, which highlights stories of resilience and the enduring impact of Holocaust survivors, left a profound impression on all present.(UnBroken: Would You Hide Me? — UnBroken: Would You Hide Me?)
The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust underscores the United Nations’ commitment to promoting Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism, racism, and all forms of discrimination. Through education and collective memory, the UN reaffirms its mission to honor the dignity and human rights of every individual and to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust remain a guiding force for future generations.
Video: Holocaust Remembrance 2025 | UN Web TV
Photos:M. Rojas
About the Author
Maria Zelda “Marizel” Rojas is a Board Member of the United Nations Correspondents Association Vienna (UNCAV), Chairperson of the European Network of Filipino Diaspora-Austria (ENFiD-Austria) and a current Board Member of ENFiD, President of the Bikol Society Austria (BSA), 1st Vice President of the United Nations Women’s Guild (UNWG), Founding Member and former President of the Philippine Austrian Cultural and Educational Society (PACES), Adviser and former President of the Vienna International Centre Club Filipino (VIC CF), Auditor for the Vienna International Centre Gastronomy Club (VIC GC), Liaison for the Philippines and Councillor in the European Police Association (EPA), and a member of the Filipina Women’s Network (FWN).
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