Today Is International Holocaust Memorial Day

[Gefn]

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is an international memorial day on 27 January commemorating the tragedy of the Holocaust that occurred during the Second World War. It commemorates the genocide that resulted in the deaths of 6 million Jews and 11 million others, by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.[1] It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 60/7 on 1 November 2005 during the 42nd plenary session.[2] The resolution came after a special session was held earlier that year on 24 January 2005 during which the United Nations General Assembly marked the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps and the end of the Holocaust.[3][4][5]

On 27 January 1945, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration and death camp, was liberated by the Red Army.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Holocaust_Remembrance_Day

[Gefn]

To the 17 million who died. 

[EdinVA]

Countries with the Highest Fatalities How many people died in World War 2 in terms of the highest number of fatalities in one nation? According to estimates, the Soviet Union suffered the highest amount of total deaths (including military and civilian) with between 21,800,000 and 28,000,00 dying during World War 2.


 This is due to the sheer level of manpower provided, the numbers killed in German sieges, and Russian battle tactics that paid little consideration to the preservation of their soldiers’ lives.
How many people died in World War 2 in terms of the highest number of fatalities in a Far Eastern nation?


 China is second in total number of deaths with between 10,000,000 and 20,000,000 (although some say that the civilian toll might have been much higher)



and then Germany with between 7,000,000 to 9,000,000 deaths.



Other countries that suffered between 2,000,000 and 6,000,000 deaths include Poland, Dutch East Indies, Japan and India.


https://www.historyonthenet.com/how-many-people-died-in-world-war-2

Terrible waste of lives...

[TomSea]

I saw some stories last night:

Scotland's last Holocaust survivor Judith Rosenberg reveals how she found love after liberation
The 97-year-old was sent to Auschwitz in 1944 but survived and then met a handsome Scottish officer who helped lift the shadow of atrocity from her life.

In 2005, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for Jews, Harold Rosenberg died in his wife Judith’s arms.

At the age of 97, Judith is Scotland’s last survivor of the Holocaust but it was her love for Harold and not the horror of the death camps which is the arc of her story.

Her face radiates when she talks of the handsome Scottish officer, who lifted the shadow of atrocity from her life, after liberation.

More at: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/real-life/scotlands-last-holocaust-survivor-judith-21347525

Dutch Prime Minister apologizes for country's role in Holocaust

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Sunday he was sorry for his country's role during the Holocaust and the lack of action against the persecution of Jews, becoming the first Dutch premier to make such an official apology.

"With the last remaining survivors among us, I apologize on behalf of the government for the actions of the government at the time", Rutte said at an event in Amsterdam to mark the 75th anniversary on Monday of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.

"I do so, realizing that no word can describe something as enormous and awful as the Holocaust."

Read more at: https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/world/dutch-prime-minister-apologizes-for-countrys-role-in-holocaust/ar-BBZmCfL?li=BBSVbAt

The first story is moving and well illustrated at link.

[Gefn]

I remember when I was little seeing some of my grandparents cousins with numbers on their arms and people in synagogue with the same thing. You don’t see it so much anymore.

What amazed me is even as a little girl they would show them to me and tell me about it, (although greatly sanitized because of my youth) so we would never forget.

When I was a teen and I truly understood, I had nightmares. I still sometimes get them. 

Anyone who can get through a traumatic experience like this is a hero to me

[PeteS in CA]

Sadly, Holocaust denial has grown as survivors numbers and voices have dwindled. It's one of the reasons I wish Americans (my nation) could and would visit at least one of the concentration camps, to come face to face with what happened and with what human beings are capable of doing.

If they have such a thing in Russia, a similar visit to a camp/museum of one of Stalin's Gulags would be of similar value. Two or more (I don't know their number! Sadly ...) of my great uncles may have been swallowed by the Gulags ... or maybe the Holodomor.

Marxian or Hitlerian or ..., socialism has a consistent product, masses of innocent people slaughtered.

[TomSea]

Duchess of Cambridge is Kate Middletown? Right.... There's a few stories on her in regards to this topic:

Duchess of Cambridge's personal portraits of Holocaust survivors
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51258631

Auschwitz 75 years on: William and Kate light candles to commemorate Holocaust
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51270297

It's my understanding, this is what the Royals often do, public service types of things, opening up say, a hospital or something. Goodwill projects and in this, I think that is noble.

[Absalom]

A note from history.
There have been at least 25 organized massacres from ancient
to modern times, resulting in the deaths of multiple thousands.
 

[sneakypete]

I might start caring when the Jews start bothering to mention they weren't the only victims.

In other words,maybe in another lifetime.

[skeeter]

I might start caring when the Jews start bothering to mention they weren't the only victims.

In other words,maybe in another lifetime.

I see nothing wrong with expanding Holocaust Memorial Day to include all victims of actual state sponsored genocide down through the ages. Why would anyone possibly object?

[sneakypete]

Countries with the Highest Fatalities How many people died in World War 2 in terms of the highest number of fatalities in one nation? According to estimates, the Soviet Union suffered the highest amount of total deaths (including military and civilian) with between 21,800,000 and 28,000,00 dying during World War 2.


 This is due to the sheer level of manpower provided, the numbers killed in German sieges, and Russian battle tactics that paid little consideration to the preservation of their soldiers’ lives.

Not to mention a lot of Soviet citizens either starved to death or froze to death because Stalin and his comrades focused on keeping the army that protected them warm and with a full stomach. If the "small "c" comrades had to suffer to protect the "big "C" comrades",that was a sacrifice they should have been happy to make.

[sneakypete]

@TomSea

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Sunday he was sorry for his country's role during the Holocaust and the lack of action against the persecution of Jews, becoming the first Dutch premier to make such an official apology.

"With the last remaining survivors among us, I apologize on behalf of the government for the actions of the government at the time", Rutte said at an event in Amsterdam to mark the 75th anniversary on Monday of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.

"I do so, realizing that no word can describe something as enormous and awful as the Holocaust."

Ok,now I am confused. I grew up believing that Holland was occupied by the Nazi's during WW-2,and the Dutch that were in power during that period were appointed by the Nazis,and were Nazi stooges. I was also led to believe that the ones who survived the war were tried,and the ones found guilty of collaborating with the Nazi's were given prison sentences.

Was I taught wrong?

[sneakypete]

I remember when I was little seeing some of my grandparents cousins with numbers on their arms and people in synagogue with the same thing. You don’t see it so much anymore.

@Gefn

I remember seeing the tattoo on the army of the wife of one of my mother's cousins. He was a MP in the "army of occupation" in Berlin right after WW-2,and met her while guarding a displaced persons camp. Her family was from the eastern part of Germany,and all their land was in the Soviet Zone. He married her and brought her to the US,and they remained together until she died. IIRC,she lived to her late 70's or early 80's. Very nice woman,and VERY quiet.

[sneakypete]

If they have such a thing in Russia, a similar visit to a camp/museum of one of Stalin's Gulags would be of similar value.

@PeteS in CA

Seems unlikely. Pooty Poot was a Colonel in the KGB.

Marxian or Hitlerian or ..., socialism has a consistent product, masses of innocent people slaughtered.

It's the same monster dressed in a different uniform. In FACT,they have so much in common they were allies with a mutual defense treaty,right up to the instant that Nazi tanks rolled into the USSR. Suddenly,overnight,Nazism became evil. Even the NYT turned against them.

Imagine that!

[Right_in_Virginia]

Sadly, Holocaust denial has grown as survivors numbers and voices have dwindled. ....

@PeteS in CA   I think the horror of WWII, in general, has faded with time.  For the generation assuming power and especially the one right behind it these will be events that happened a century ago.   Germany is a world power again, as is Japan; and the Jewish people have their own nation state that will celebrate its centennial as the torch is passed to these new generations.

I think it's WWII settling into history rather than a "denial" of the holocaust. For good or ill, generations tend to view events through the prism of their own time.

[sneakypete]

@PeteS in CA   I think the horror of WWII, in general, has faded with time.  For the generation assuming power and especially the one right behind it these will be events that happened a century ago.   Germany is a world power again, as is Japan; and the Jewish people have their own nation state that will celebrate its centennial as the torch is passed to these new generations.

I think it's WWII settling into history rather than a "denial" of the holocaust. For good or ill, generations tend to view events through the prism of their own time.

@Right_in_Virginia

I would be surprised if anything other than the fact they happened that WW-1 or WW-2 is even taught. You can bet there is nothing taught about the reasons or the conditions that led to them happening.

I bet most American's under 25 today don't even know we went to war in Korea,never mind why this happened.

It would cause too much of that "thinking stuff" to happen,and piss off both the teachers and the students.

Meanwhile,in the private schools the children of the wealthy attend,you can bet your bippy the teachers do a lot of focusing on 20th century wars,and how capitalist greed was responsible for all the horrors.

[PeteS in CA]

@PeteS in CA   I think the horror of WWII, in general, has faded with time.  For the generation assuming power and especially the one right behind it these will be events that happened a century ago.   Germany is a world power again, as is Japan; and the Jewish people have their own nation state that will celebrate its centennial as the torch is passed to these new generations.

I think it's WWII settling into history rather than a "denial" of the holocaust. For good or ill, generations tend to view events through the prism of their own time.

@Right_in_Virginia, I wasn't suggesting that the general population denies or disbelieves the Holocaust. There is a cottage industry of Holocaust Deniers that has grown more vociferous as Holocaust survivors and witnesses have died or become less able to speak. I was referring to those latter - few in number (is that wishful thinking?) but seductive.

[mountaineer]

I would be surprised if anything other than the fact they happened that WW-1 or WW-2 is even taught. You can bet there is nothing taught about the reasons or the conditions that led to them happening.

I bet most American's under 25 today don't even know we went to war in Korea,never mind why this happened.

I think those "man on the street" type interviews, where young people are asked what they know about various historical events, would support your view. Perhaps someone here with children or grandchildren in grades 5-12 or so could tell us whether the kiddies in gubmint schools are taught about anything occurring before 1970. My impression is no.

[TomSea]

I see nothing wrong with expanding Holocaust Memorial Day to include all victims of actual state sponsored genocide down through the ages. Why would anyone possibly object?

Agreed. Good point. Rwanda, Holodomor and so on. I do realize these are sensitive issues to some.

[PeteS in CA]

I think those "man on the street" type interviews, where young people are asked what they know about various historical events, would support your view. Perhaps someone here with children or grandchildren in grades 5-12 or so could tell us whether the kiddies in gubmint schools are taught about anything occurring before 1970. My impression is no.

When I was in school - 1960s and early 1970s - so much time was spent on US History pre-1900 that WW1 and beyond were barely mentioned. That is the "US History" today's teachers grew up with. I realize I post frequently about events in the 20th Century, but that is from some combination of my own memory and personal reading and learning.

We homeschooled our munchkins and have no grandmunchkins, so I can't comment on what PSs actually teach as US History.

[TomSea]

I'll add this in, I have discussed this elsewhere and this person was recommending seeing the movie "Shoah", 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoah_(film) 

9 hours plus, French film, one of those movies made to be shown on multiple nights? I don't know but it is on my watch list.... and it is on youtube. On my watch list.  I posted the wiki link because there are some criticisms of the movie. Quite a few movies to see free at  youtube.

[Gefn]

When I was in school - 1960s and early 1970s - so much time was spent on US History pre-1900 that WW1 and beyond were barely mentioned. That is the "US History" today's teachers grew up with. I realize I post frequently about events in the 20th Century, but that is from some combination of my own memory and personal reading and learning.

We homeschooled our munchkins and have no grandmunchkins, so I can't comment on what PSs actually teach as US History.

My us honors history high school history class got through Vietnam and that was it. The textbook went up to Nixon resignation and watergate but we didn’t get that far.

I also had three years world history in HS. So I got WW one and two from both views. So grateful. Then of course, one semester of both US and World were mandatory to graduate in college,

[thackney]

... Perhaps someone here with children or grandchildren in grades 5-12 or so could tell us whether the kiddies in gubmint schools are taught about anything occurring before 1970. My impression is no.

My daughter graduated High School last year.  Hell yes they are taught real history.  Do not believe every public school equals the the worst inner-city school.

Sending kids to public school is not the liberal mind-washing some here believe.  My kid was the Chaplain (official office like president and treasurer) for the FFA and led the public meetings at the school in Christian prayer.

[sneakypete]

My daughter graduated High School last year.  Hell yes they are taught real history.  Do not believe every public school equals the the worst inner-city school.

Sending kids to public school is not the liberal mind-washing some here believe.  My kid was the Chaplain (official office like president and treasurer) for the FFA and led the public meetings at the school in Christian prayer.

@thackney

Sometimes I'm glad to be proven wrong.

[Gefn]

NYT  has a review of a new non fiction book biography on Menegele. I can’t read it, but I’ll put it out there Incase someone might be interested.