InternationalJanMosaic layoutDate varies

International Holocaust Remembrance Day - January 27, UN day since 2005

International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27 is a United Nations day of memorial established in 2005 marking the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Observed annually in UN member states with ceremonies, educational programmes, and moments of silence. Not a public holiday.

UN

International observancePublished October 15, 2026

At a glanceInternational observance
Observed in
UN
When
January
Frequency
Same date every year
Type
Days off
Varies by country
Public status
Varies by country; consult local government gazette
Last reviewed: October 15, 2026
Add to calendar

International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27 is a United Nations day of memorial established in 2005 marking the 1945 liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The day is observed in UN member states with ceremonies, educational programmes, and moments of silence. Approximately 245,000 survivors remain alive. Not a public holiday.

The one-line summary

UN day of memorial on January 27. Established 2005 by UNGA. Marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945. Approximately 245,000 survivors remain. Not a public holiday.

Origin and history

International Holocaust Remembrance Day was established by the UN General Assembly in November 2005 through Resolution 60/7. The resolution came after years of advocacy by Israel, the World Jewish Congress, and Holocaust survivor organisations. The date was proposed during negotiations by the Israeli delegation.

January 27 marks the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet forces on January 27, 1945. Soviet soldiers found approximately 7,000 prisoners alive in the camps and evidence of the murder of over 1.1 million people, the majority Jewish, at the site.

The resolution condemned all manifestations of religious intolerance, incitement, harassment, or violence against persons or communities based on ethnic origin or religious belief. It called for educational programmes to prevent future genocides and to remember the Holocaust in future generations.

6MJews murdered in the Holocaust
1.1MPeople murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau
245KSurvivors still alive as of 2024

The six million

Approximately 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945. The victims also included millions from other persecuted groups: Roma and Sinti (estimated 220,000-500,000 murdered), Soviet civilians (estimated 7-10 million), disabled people, Polish intelligentsia, political prisoners, Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

The Holocaust was perpetrated through a network of concentration camps, extermination camps, ghettos, mobile killing units, and mass shootings across German-occupied Europe. The largest single killing site was Auschwitz-Birkenau, where approximately 1.1 million people - 1 million of them Jews - were murdered, primarily in gas chambers between 1942 and 1944.

🇮🇱
Israel
Israel observes Yom HaShoah on the 27th of Nisan (April/May), the date chosen by the Knesset in 1953. Yad Vashem in Jerusalem is the world\u2019s primary Holocaust memorial institution.
🇩🇪
Germany
Germany\u2019s Bundestag observes January 27 with a central commemoration. Memorial sites include Buchenwald, Dachau, Sachsenhausen, and Ravensbrück. The day is part of Germany\u2019s official national remembrance framework.
🇵🇱
Poland
Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum hosts the major international commemoration each January 27. Poland\u2019s national day of remembrance (Yom HaShoah) is on April 19, the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
🇺🇸
United States
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC hosts annual events. Days of Remembrance are observed in late April or May around Yom HaShoah; January 27 is also federally recognised.
🇫🇷
France
France observes the day at the Drancy and Vel\u2019 d\u2019Hiv memorial sites. The 2015 commemoration at Vel\u2019 d\u2019Hiv following the Hyper Cacher attack became a defining moment for French Holocaust memory.
🇺🇳
United Nations
The UN holds a solemn ceremony at UN headquarters in New York each January 27. The UN Secretary-General delivers a message. UNESCO runs the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance-related education programmes.

Controversies and criticism

International Holocaust Remembrance Day has faced criticism for focusing on European Jewish victims at the expense of other Holocaust victims (Roma, Soviet POWs, disabled people, Polish civilians). The UN resolution explicitly mentions the six million Jewish victims and other victims, but commemoration programmes vary widely.

The day has also been politicised in countries experiencing democratic backsliding. Hungary, Poland, and Russia have faced criticism from international Jewish organisations and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) for state-sponsored narratives that downplay national complicity or blame Soviet/communist forces.

In other countriesThe day is distinct from Israel\u2019s Yom HaShoah (27 Nisan, usually April/May) and from the Romani Genocide Remembrance Day (August 2). The day is one of the most widely observed UN days of memorial.

Related observances

January observances include World Braille Day (Jan 4), International Day of Education (Jan 24, UNESCO). The UN\u2019s annual observances relating to genocide prevention include the Genocide Convention anniversary (Dec 9) and the Responsibility to Protect doctrine adopted in 2005.

Sources

UN General Assembly Resolution 60/72005Yad Vashem archives2024US Holocaust Memorial Museum2024Claims Conference survivor data2024

Frequently asked questions

When is International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2026?

Tuesday, January 27, 2026. International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed every year on January 27 regardless of the day of the week. The 2026 observance falls on a Tuesday.

Who established International Holocaust Remembrance Day?

International Holocaust Remembrance Day was established by the UN General Assembly in November 2005 through Resolution 60/7. The resolution came after years of advocacy by Israel, the World Jewish Congress, and Holocaust survivor organisations. The first observance was January 27, 2006.

Why is January 27 the date?

January 27 marks the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet forces on January 27, 1945. The date was proposed in 2005 by the UN Special Envoy for Holocaust Education and chosen for its resonance as the symbolic end of the largest Nazi killing centre.

How is International Holocaust Remembrance Day observed?

The UN holds a solemn commemoration ceremony each year at UN headquarters in New York. UNESCO organises educational programmes. National parliaments, schools, and museums host events, candlelight vigils, and moments of silence. Many countries air documentaries or host lectures.

Is International Holocaust Remembrance Day a public holiday?

No. International Holocaust Remembrance Day is not a public holiday in any country. Israel observes Yom HaShoah on a different date (the 27th of Nisan, which usually falls in April or May). The day is widely observed in schools and through public events but is not a statutory holiday.

How many Holocaust survivors are still alive?

According to the Claims Conference and survivor organisations, approximately 245,000 Holocaust survivors were alive as of 2024, the majority in Israel, the United States, and Western Europe. Most are now in their 80s and 90s. Survivor testimony has become an urgent educational priority as the generation passes.

Related briefs

Jan

International Day of Education

International Day of Education on January 24 is the UN International Day celebrating education as a fundamental human right and global public good. Established by UNGA Resolution 73/25 in 2019, marked by UNESCO. Not a public holiday.

UN
Jan

World Braille Day

World Braille Day on January 4 is the UN International Day recognizing the importance of Braille as a means of communication for blind and partially sighted people. Established in 2019 by UNGA Resolution 73/161, marks the 1809 birthday of Louis Braille. Not a public holiday.

UN
Jan

World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day

World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day on January 30 is a WHO observance launched in 2020 to mobilise action against diseases that affect more than one billion people. The date marks the 2012 London Declaration on NTDs. Each year the WHO publishes a flagship progress report. Not a public holiday.

UN
Mar

World Water Day

World Water Day on March 22 is a UN-recognised international observance focused on the importance of freshwater and sustainable water management. Established by the UN General Assembly in 1992, first celebrated in 1993. Not a public holiday.

UN

Continue browsing

Where to read next

International observanceBrowse the rest of this categoryIn JanSee what else falls this monthIn InternationalOpen the region pageCompare holidaysBrowse all side-by-sides

Or jump to the full briefs library, the regions index, or the year calendar.

Holiday Brief is curated for editorial reference, not affiliation. See our data sources for primary references behind every brief.