Monday, January 27, marked 80 years since the Soviet Union liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. On this occasion, Poland hosted a grand ceremony under a tent at the entrance of the museum, where world leaders gathered to hear poignant testimonies from survivors—an event that may be one of the last of its kind.

Polish President Andrzej Duda expressed warmth and gratitude at seeing so many people and world leaders gathered to honor the lives lost at Auschwitz during World War II.

“I would like to thank all those who are coming today to Auschwitz, to this museum that remains a terrible testimony to the exterminations conducted by the Nazis against Jews,” he said.

Familiar faces at the event included King Charles III, French President Emmanuel Macron, King Felipe VI of Spain, as well as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Australia was represented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Attorney General Mark Dreyfus KC MP. However, notable absentees included Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The commemoration began in the morning with a solemn ceremony inside the camp itself, featuring a march toward the Wall of Death, where detainees were executed. Former prisoners, joined by Polish President Andrzej Duda, laid flowers at the site where over a million Jews, along with more than 100,000 non-Jews, were murdered. Some wore blue and white striped scarves, evoking their former prison uniforms. In a moving tribute, they lit candles at the base of the wall, then placed their hands upon it in silence, honoring the memory of those who perished.

Over a million people were killed at Auschwitz-Birkenau—mainly Jews, but also Poles, Romani, and Soviet prisoners of war—making it a symbol of Nazi atrocities. More than just a labor camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau was a major extermination site in operation from May 1940 until its liberation in January 1945.

Later in the evening, attendees listened to moving testimonies from Auschwitz survivors. No world leaders gave speeches, as event organizers dedicated the day entirely to honoring the memory of those who perished in the camp.

“This year, we are focusing on the survivors and their message,” said Paweł Sawicki, spokesperson for the Auschwitz Museum. “We all know that for the 90th anniversary, it will not be possible to have a large group. There will not be any speeches by politicians.”

Over 50 camp survivors attended the ceremony, sharing their harrowing experiences. Among them were Marian Turski, Tova Friedman, Leon Weintraub, and Janina Iwanska.

“There was always only a small portion of us who survived all of this. That number was already small, and even fewer of us lived to see freedom,” shared 98-year-old Marian Turski.

“Don’t be afraid to talk about problems, and don’t be afraid to seek solutions,” he followed up

In his speech 5 years earlier, Turski had warned, “Auschwitz did not emerge from nowhere.”

84-year-old Lidia Maksymowicz counted her story after she was freed from the cam “When I was adopted, I had to learn everything again: how to feel, how to live, how to eat, how to deal with other children. I was four years old and like a wild animal, I only felt survival instincts,”

Survivors also expressed concerns about the rise of antisemitism and the fear that history’s lessons are being forgotten.

“I very much regret that in many European countries, we see people walking around in uniforms reminiscent of Nazi uniforms,” said 99-year-old Leon Weintraub. “They proudly call themselves nationalists and identify with an ideology that killed so many people because it considered them subhuman. We must avoid the mistakes of the 1930s.” He warned against the “ideology of hate” and urged young people to be “sensitive and vigilant.”

Besides the survivors, only Piotr Cywiński, director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, and Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, delivered speeches during the 90-minute ceremony.

This commemoration was particularly significant, as many believe it may be the last one with a significant number of survivors in attendance. With most now in their 90s, the opportunity to hear their first hand testimonies is dwindling. In today’s world, marked by ongoing wars and increasing political polarisation, their messages remain more relevant than ever.