Facing the aftermath: Recovery and Reconstitution after the Holocaust (2024)

The Holocaust profoundly affected countries in which Nazi crimes were perpetrated, but also had universal implications and consequences in many other parts of the world. Member States share a collective responsibility for addressing the residual trauma, maintaining effective remembrance policies, caring for historic sites, and promoting education, documentation and research, seven decades after the genocide. This responsibility entails educating about the causes, consequences and dynamics of such crimes so as to strengthen the resilience of young people against ideologies of hatred. As genocide and atrocity crimes keep occurring across several regions, and as we are witnessing a global rise of anti-Semitism and hateful discourses, this has never been so relevant.

"The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust is a time to mourn those who disappeared and to reflect upon the choice of the individuals and governments that allowed this genocide to unfold. It is also a call for vigilance and for action, to address the root causes of hatred and prevent future atrocities from happening." — Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.

This year, for the first time, the United Nations and UNESCO have jointly organized a series of events, in partnership with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), to celebrate such an important anniversary to foster the respect of fundamental rights and freedoms, promote cultural diversity, prevent and halt atrocity crimes, and combat any form of denial and distortion.

This year’s commemoration ceremony and programmes were held virtually due to the ongoing pandemic. A stirring photo exhibition, Lest We Forget by the German-Italian photographer, Luigi Toscano, displayed at UNESCO Headquarters from 18 January to 12 February, documents several hundred deeply moving portraits of Holocaust survivors. The organisation of the exhibition was in partnership with the World Jewish Congress, the European Union, the Permanent Delegations of Austria, France and Germany to UNESCO and the Austrian Cultural Forum in Paris.

In this framework, the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe in collaboration with the UN Country Team and UN Resident Coordinator of Bosnia and Herzegovina, organized a regional Round Table on 28 January to discuss the aftermath of the Holocaust with special focus on the recording of historical accounts. Unfortunately, forms of Holocaust denial and distortion remain prevalent across the political and ideological spectrum and reflect a concerning global trend of rising intolerance and hate speech against Jewish communities and individuals.

The virtual event was broadcasted from Sarajevo and Venice, home to the UNESCO Regional Bureau and the first Jewish ghetto in history. At night and on Christian holidays, the segregated area of Venice where the Jewish community lived would get locked up and guards would be within the surrounding areas to enforce the curfew. The term ghetto originated from the Venetian word “getto” (from “gettare”, here in the meaning of pouring) as the Jewish community lived near the city’s former copper foundry. This is how Europe’s first ghetto was born.

In 1938, the promulgation of the fascist racial laws deprived the Jews of civil rights and the Nazi persecutions began. Around two hundred and fifty Jews were deported from Venice; only 8 returned from the death camps. Religious institutions including synagogues of Venetian Jews still remain in this former segregated area, now a popular and vibrant part of Venice.

Through the interventions and experiences that experts shared during the event, the round table contributed to the theme which seeks to explore the measures taken in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust to begin recovery and reconstitution of individuals, community, and systems of justice. Additionally, the speakers of the round table underlined the heightened importance of informed Holocaust education, and increased media and historical literacy at a time when disinformation and historical distortion are on the rise globally.

The expert speakers highlighted the importance of memory and education in raising awareness of and countering Holocaust denial and distortion. One of the speakers examined the value of image and figurative art in Jewish history, explaining the relevance of this significant knowledge today. Furthermore, cultural heritage through its intangible testimony and the museum sector were identified as paramount in fighting denial and distortion of the Holocaust.

• 2021 Holocaust Remembrance
• International Holocaust Remembrance Day
• Facing the Aftermath Programme