The Day of Remembrance for the Victims of National Socialism on January 27 has been a nationwide, legally established day of remembrance in Germany since 1996. It is observed on the anniversary of January 27, 1945, the day of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp and the two other Auschwitz concentration camps by the Red Army in the last year of World War II.[1] In 2005, the United Nations declared January 27 as the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. Since then, the day of remembrance has also been observed in many European countries.[2]
The Day of Remembrance for the Victims of National Socialism commemorates all victims of an unprecedented totalitarian regime during the era of National Socialism: "We remember the disenfranchised, the tortured, and the murdered: the European Jews, the Sinti and Roma, the Jehovah's Witnesses, the millions of abducted Slavs, the ... forced laborers, the homosexuals, the political prisoners, the sick and disabled, all those who were declared enemies and persecuted by the Nazi ideology. We also remember those who bravely resisted or offered protection and help."
The Day of Remembrance was introduced on January 3, 1996, by a proclamation of Federal President Roman Herzog and set for January 27. On January 27, 1945, soldiers of the Red Army liberated the survivors of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, the largest extermination camp of the Nazi regime.
In his proclamation, Herzog stated:
"The remembrance must not end; it must also alert future generations to be vigilant. It is therefore important to find a form of remembrance that has an impact on the future. It should express sorrow over suffering and loss, be dedicated to the memory of the victims, and counteract any risk of repetition."
In the Federal Republic of Germany, public buildings fly flags at half-mast on this day. Nationwide, the memory of the crimes of the National Socialists is kept alive through various events such as readings, theatrical performances, or religious services. Additionally, the Day of Remembrance serves to draw attention to current tendencies of antisemitism, xenophobia, and misanthropy.[3]
An annual commemorative hour takes place in the Bundestag on the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of National Socialism.
Since the pericope revision of 2018, the Day of Remembrance has been part of the Protestant liturgical year.[4]