International Holocaust Remembrance Day has been observed across Europe, serving as a poignant reminder of one of the continent’s most significant tragedies.

In Poland, King Charles attended the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, delivering a speech that he described as “both a somber and indeed a sacred moment.”

He stated, “This is a time to remember the six million Jews, young and old, who were brutally murdered, along with Sinti, Roma, individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ community members, political dissidents, and countless others who were subjected to Nazi violence and hatred.”

King Charles continued, reflecting on the grave consequences of allowing evil to go unchecked: “We must remember the depths to which humanity can fall when such evil is ignored for too long.” He expressed sadness over the dwindling number of Holocaust survivors who can share their experiences of the atrocities they endured.

“The duty to remember the horrors of our past is crucial; by doing so, we inform our present and shape our future,” he remarked.

His address took place at the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow, Poland, an establishment created by the king himself in 2008. Once a vibrant hub for the Jewish community, Krakow became a site of suffering and oppression under Nazi occupation.

In the Krakow Ghetto, the conditions for Jews deteriorated significantly until authorities instituted a systematic extermination policy across Europe, including a camp in Krakow known as Plaszow.

“From the ruins of the Holocaust, the Jewish community has risen anew here in Krakow,” the king noted. “Such initiatives as this Centre are essential for restoring our faith in humanity post-Holocaust. They remind us of the ongoing work necessary to ensure we do more than remember the past; we must let it motivate us to create a kinder, more compassionate world for future generations, a world we can truly take pride in.”

Furthermore, the king warned against a troubling revival of antisemitism. According to the Anti-Defamation League, which monitors bias incidents, antisemitic events surged dramatically in the U.S. following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.

The ADL reported a staggering 361% rise in antisemitic incidents in the three months after the attack compared to the same time frame the previous year. This speech also took place amidst a rise in far-right, nationalist politics across Europe, where countries such as Germany and Austria have seen a resurgence in anti-immigrant, right-wing parties.

It is noteworthy that Holocaust Remembrance in the U.S. is observed on a different date. “Yom Hashoa,” the Hebrew term for Holocaust Remembrance, will be observed on April 24, 2025.