About Holocaust Memorial Day

The purpose of Holocaust Memorial Day is twofold. Firstly, it offers modern society the opportunity to remember those who suffered and died during the Holocaust in World War II, including those still living with the consequences. Secondly, it reflects on the lessons to be learned bearing in mind the repetition of human tragedies and the continuation of different forms of intolerance and genocides which have occurred in different parts of the world. For example, Cambodia, Bosnia and Rwanda.

Holocaust Memorial Day is organised in Northern Ireland each year by the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister in co-operation with representatives of the Belfast Jewish Community, Council of Christians and Jews, Disability Action, Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities and Coalition on Sexual Orientation and of the local council for the area where the ceremony is held.

On 8 July 2003 the then Home Secretary David Blunkett announced that Belfast would host the fourth National Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January 2004 in the Waterfront Hall.

Belfast’s first participation in marking Holocaust Memorial Day occurred in 2002 when a Northern Ireland Regional Commemoration was held in the Waterfront Hall. Subsequent regional commemorations were held in the Market Place Theatre, Armagh in 2003, the Waterside Theatre, Londonderry in 2005, the Ardhowen Theatre in Enniskillen in 2006, the Island Civic Centre, Lisburn in 2007 and The Great Hall, Parliament Buildings, Stormont in 2008.

Each Northern Ireland Regional Commemoration has been attended by audiences of several hundred people and in 2004 when Northern Ireland hosted the UK National Commemoration over 1,500 people attended the ceremony. The commemoration in 2009 was held in The Braid, Ballymena Town Hall, Museum and Arts Centre.

In May 1998, the Swedish, British and US Governments established the “task force for International Co-operation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research” They were subsequently joined by Germany, Israel, Poland, the Netherlands, France and Italy.

At the Washington Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets in December of the same year, Task Force members issued a joint declaration stating, inter alia, that “Holocaust education, remembrance and research strengthen humanity’s ability to absorb and learn from the dark lessons of the past, so that we can ensure that similar horrors are never again repeated.” Other nations were similarly called to strengthen their efforts in these fields, and to undertake new ones where necessary.

In the Autumn of 1999 the Home Office at the behest of the Prime Minister issued a consultation document to targeted individuals and interest groups, a clear majority of whom expressed support for an inclusive and forward looking Holocaust Memorial Day. It was therefore decided that Holocaust Memorial Day would be commemorated on 27 January, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The first national ceremony took place in 2001 in London.