Westmorland and Furness Council is lighting up buildings in purple over the weekend to mark Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) and commemorate all those affected by genocide.
From dusk on Friday (26 January) until Monday morning (29 January), Barrow Town Hall, Kendal Town Hall and Penrith Town Hall will all be illuminated in remembrance.
HMD takes place every year on 27 January, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. It is an international day where we remember the millions of people who have been murdered during the Holocaust, under Nazi persecution and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. It is an occasion for people to come together to learn, remember and reflect.
Every year, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) selects a theme for HMD and this year it is ‘Fragility of Freedom’.
Communities across the UK are encouraged to come together and pledge not to take our freedoms for granted, and consider what we can do to strengthen freedoms around the world.
Several libraries across Westmorland and Furness will be marking Holocaust Memorial Day with displays and activities, including:
- A display and “wish tree” in Barrow Library which encourages people to write down their wishes on the theme of freedom and attach them to the tree.
- Displays in Kendal Library, including local information about the Kindertransport initiative.
- A “Heart from Auschwitz” (heart-shape booklets) activity in Penrith Library, including a display created by St Catherine’s Primary School (on display from 26 January).
- Displays in Askam, Grange, Sedbergh, Walney and Windermere libraries.
Councillor Matt Severn, Chairman of Westmorland and Furness Council, said:
“Holocaust Memorial Day acts as an ever-present reminder of the atrocities of the Holocaust. Across Westmorland and Furness, we will be remembering the millions of victims and all those affected by the Holocaust and genocides around the world.
“We also remember the contribution made to our community by the child victims who came to live in the Lakes as refugees after the Second World War.
“It is essential for us to unite, reflect and learn about the past so that we can take action for a better future.”
For more information on Holocaust Memorial Day, visit the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust website.