Sarajevo marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The United Nations General Assembly adopted an official resolution in 2005 to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27).

The resolution calls on all United Nations member states to honor the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and encourages the development of educational programs on the history of the Holocaust, aiming to demonstrate a commitment to helping prevent acts of genocide in the future.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on January 27, 2006: "The tragedy that resulted from the Holocaust cannot be erased. It must be remembered with shame and fear as long as human memory exists. Only by remembering can we pay proper tribute to the victims. Millions of innocent Jews and members of other minorities were killed in unimaginably barbaric ways. We must never forget these men, women, and children, nor their agony."

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is a national memorial day in Germany, called "Der Tag des Gedenkens an die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus - Day of Remembrance for the Victims of National Socialism." It was declared a holiday by Federal President Roman Herzog on January 3, 1996, by issuing a proclamation that this day be observed on January 27, the day in 1945 when soldiers of the Soviet Army liberated those imprisoned in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

Herzog said in his proclamation: "Remembrance must not cease - it must also be a warning to future generations to be vigilant. Therefore, it is very important to find the right way that will be effective, that will express regret for the suffering and losses, and be dedicated to the memory of the victims, which will help prevent the recurrence of crimes."

On the occasion of the world Holocaust Remembrance Day, Krug 99 will hold a session titled "Holocaust - Contemporary Lessons" on Sunday at the Faculty of Economics in Sarajevo.