Berlin's Brandenburg Gate lit up to commemorate Holocaust victims
The landmark Brandenburg Gate in Berlin was lit up after sunset on Monday to commemorate the victims of Auschwitz, 80 years after the liberation of the Nazi death camp.
The words #weremember were projected onto the top of the landmark, situated in the centre of Berlin near the embassies of the United States, France, Britain and Russia, who defeated Nazi Germany in World War II.
The international campaign launched by the World Jewish Congress and UNESCO organizes events each year to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27.
In Berlin, events and church services were planned throughout the day.
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner recalled in a statement that the systematic extermination of European Jews, Sinti and Roma by the Nazis was planned and organized from Berlin.
"It is our common duty and our historical heritage to remember the victims of Nazi terror and the Shoah and to give a voice to the surviving witnesses," Wegner said,
"But it is also our responsibility to stand up against any form of anti-Semitism," he said. "Because the enemies of democracy must never be louder than those who stand up for peace, freedom and democracy."
On January 27, 1945, Soviet soldiers liberated the German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz located in German-occupied Poland. Some 1.1 million were killed at Auschwitz, including about 1 million Jews.
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With the recent funding cuts from the U.S. government, the future of global health is going in an unknown direction. And yet, the occurrence of pandemics is expected to increase in frequency due to climate change, mass migration, urbanization, and ecosystem destruction. It has been estimated that there is about a 25% chance we will have another COVID-sized pandemic within the next 10 years. No matter how secure the world makes borders, history shows that it can not protect us from disease if we do not have a strong, interconnected public health infrastructure. Luke Jorgensen is a Master of Public Health student at Purdue University where his epidemiology research examines human migration and infectious disease. Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Learn more about Made by History at TIME here. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors. Write to Made by History at madebyhistory@
