Holocaust Memorial Day: The events happening today across Bristol

Holocaust Memorial Day is seen as a day for education, commemoration and reflection.

Holocaust Memorial Day is held on 27th January every year, which is the date when the death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, was liberated in 1945.

It is a day to remember all the victims and survivors of the Holocaust, of Nazi persecution, and of subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.

Holocaut Memorial Day first took place in 2001, in which a UK ceremony and thousands of local activities took place all across the UK, and has continued to do so since.

This year’s theme for Holocaust Memorial Day, set by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is ‘One day’ which aims to open up a conversation looking at how a single day can change your life as a victim or survivor of genocide and persecution, and how we can keep telling the stories of genocide victims and survivors.

Here is where you can pay your respects in Bristol.

Memorial events

Generations: Portraits of Holocaust Survivors at RPS Gallery

This new photography exhibition opened at RPS Gallery on 27 January. It brings together over 50 contemporary portraits of Holocaust survivors and their families.

The exhibition shines a light on the full lives they have lived and a collective responsibility to cherish their stories.

The exhibition was made in partnership with the Imperial War museum, Jewish News, and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

Many of the images captured for the exhibition were taken in Spring 2021, presenting a brand-new body of work from contemporary photographers including Sian Bonnell, Jillian Edelstein, Joy Gregory HonFRPS and many more.

It will run until 27 March 2022. Book your tickets here today.

HMD 2022: Online event

There will be a live event taking place from 6PM on Bristol HMD Youtube channel. This will feature a range of speakers, including Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol.

The memorial ceremony will also be held online from 7PM-8PM. People are encouraged to join the conversation on social media throughout the day using the hashtag #HolocaustMemorialDay.

As part of the live stream, people across the UK are encouraged to light a candle at their home at 8PM if it is safe to do so. This was introduced last year to match the theme of the event, and HMDT has brought back candle lighting for 2022. More can be found here.

If you miss this you can catch up on the live event on their Youtube channel. Emails are now open to volunteer in helping the 2023 event.

Find out more here.

If you can’t make these events, you can remember the six millions lives lost by lighting a candle to honour the victims. More information on it can be found here.