A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.
On Jan. 27, 1945, during World War II, Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland.
As many as 1.5 million people died there at the hands of the Nazis.
On Jan. 27, 1945, stunned Soviet troops found only 5,200 starving and tortured prisoners alive, some barely able to move, others crumpled in the snow, breathing their last breaths even as freedom finally came.
Through the years, survivors gathered on the anniversary until there were just a few left who had lived through the horrors. Many gathered today as well — 80 years after the liberation — survivors wearing imitations of the striped prisoners’ uniforms; others waving Israeli flags, silently weeping, praying and stamping their feet against the cold.
Here are some stories from Deseret News archives about the concentration camps and how to mourn and remember the atrocities of WWII:
“Holocaust victims mourned at Auschwitz and beyond”
“Jews remember WWII Auschwitz victims”
“On Holocaust Remembrance Day, don’t forget the responsibility that comes with remembering”
“Leaders mark Auschwitz liberation 70 years on without Putin”
“Auschwitz-Birkenau — Death camps in Poland help keep Holocaust history alive”
“Marking Auschwitz liberation anniversary, Europe’s Jews fear anti-Semitism’s rise”
“Remembering the lessons of the Holocaust”
For information on Auschwitz-Birkenau, visit the museum website.