A United Nations General Assembly resolution from 2005 designated 27 January as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz–Birkenau.
On this day, we remember the systemic persecution, genocide and death of Jewish, Romani and other people during World War II. This year on 20 January, to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Wannsee Conference, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution condemning Holocaust denial and distortion, which Croatia has co-sponsored and supported. Furthermore, the UN chose “Remembrance, Dignity and Justice” as this year’s theme.
January 27th is also an opportunity to pay respects to the Croatian Righteous among the Nations – 120 of them, who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination.
Croatia nurtures the culture of Holocaust remembrance and promotes the fight against all forms of racism and discrimination. As a member country of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), Croatia contributes to the dissemination of knowledge, public action and development of standards in educating the youth about the Holocaust.
As part of Croatia’s IHRA activities, in October 2021 Minister Grlić Radman participated in the Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Antisemitism – Remember-ReAct, where he advocated putting forth additional efforts in Holocaust education.
In contrast to the increasing hate speech, racism, xenophobia and antisemitism, especially online, raising awareness on mutual understanding and respect, as well as systemic work on promoting the truth about the Holocaust, remain our permanent task.
Today we also remember the surviving Croatian Jews, along with the words of Auschwitz survivor Elijah Wiesel: “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.” In that sense, let our awareness about the dangers of indifference towards Holocaust victims lead to stronger action against all forms of hate and intolerance, both locally and globally.
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