On January 27, 1945, soldiers of the 60th Army of the First Ukrainian Front of the Red Army liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. At the time of liberation, there were about 7,000 prisoners in the camp, left behind by fleeing Nazis. This event revealed to the world the scale of Nazi crimes and became a symbol of the end of the Holocaust.

Auschwitz-Birkenau is one of the most horrifying places in human history. A concentration and extermination camp that became a symbol of the Holocaust and the cruelty of World War II. For years, it was a place of suffering and death for millions of innocent victims.

The liberation of Auschwitz was a turning point that ended the prisoners' nightmare and revealed to the world the scale of Nazi crimes. This date has been forever inscribed in the annals of history as a day of triumph of humanity over barbarism. Understanding the exact date and circumstances of Auschwitz's liberation is crucial for comprehending the final stage of World War II and the beginning of Nazi crime accountability.

Auschwitz, a symbol of Nazi terror, was established in 1940 and operated until 1945. Its history is a testament to systematic genocide and the unimaginable suffering of millions of victims.

Auschwitz was founded on June 14, 1940, in former military barracks in Oświęcim. Initially intended for Polish political prisoners, it quickly grew into a complex of camps. In 1941, Auschwitz II-Birkenau was established, where gas chambers and crematoria were located. Auschwitz III-Monowitz, created in 1942, served as a forced labor camp for the IG Farben corporation. The complex also included dozens of sub-camps.

From 1940-1945, Auschwitz was the center of the German death machine. Prisoner transports arrived from all over occupied Europe. It is estimated that about 1.1 million people perished in the camp, mainly Jews. Prisoners underwent selection: some were sent to forced labor, while others were immediately killed in gas chambers. Pseudo-medical experiments on humans were also conducted in the camp. Prisoners' living conditions were extremely harsh, with hunger, disease, and terror as daily realities.

At the turn of 1944 and 1945, the situation in Auschwitz-Birkenau camp underwent dramatic changes. The approaching Red Army forced the Nazis to take desperate actions aimed at erasing traces of their committed crimes.

The evacuation of Auschwitz-Birkenau camp began on January 17, 1945. Approximately 56,000 prisoners were forced to leave the camp in so-called "death marches." These march routes led westward to other concentration camps located deeper in the Reich. Conditions during the evacuation were extreme: prisoners, malnourished and weak, had to cover long distances in winter conditions. Many of them died from exhaustion, starvation, or were shot by SS guards. It is estimated that around 15,000 people died during the evacuation.

About 7,000 prisoners remained in the camp, mostly sick and unable to march. The Nazis intensively destroyed documents and evidence of crimes, burning archives and blowing up crematoria. On January 20, 1945, the Germans blew up the last crematorium in Birkenau. In the final days before liberation, SS men killed about 700 prisoners. On January 21, 1945, a prisoner uprising broke out in the Monowitz sub-camp, during which approximately 100 SS men were killed. On January 27, 1945, soldiers of the 60th Army of the First Ukrainian Front of the Red Army entered the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, finding about 7,000 surviving prisoners.

The liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau camp took place on January 27, 1945. This event ended a period of unimaginable suffering and mass extermination, revealing to the world the scale of Nazi crimes.

On January 27, 1945, soldiers of the 60th Army of the First Ukrainian Front of the Red Army entered the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. At the time of liberation, there were approximately 7,000 prisoners in the camp, left behind by the fleeing Nazis. Most of them were extremely exhausted and sick. Among the liberated were also prisoners hiding in surrounding forests and buildings. January 27 was later established as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The Red Army played a crucial role in the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. Soldiers of the 100th Lvov Infantry Division, part of the 60th Army of the First Ukrainian Front, were the first to reach the camp complex. Upon entering the camp, the Red Army soldiers witnessed horrifying scenes. They found hundreds of bodies of victims murdered in the last days before liberation and piles of documents and personal belongings that the Nazis had tried to destroy. The Red Army immediately began helping survivors, organizing emergency medical care and food supplies. Soviet soldiers also documented the crimes they found, which later served as evidence during war criminal trials.

On the liberation day of Auschwitz-Birkenau, January 27, 1945, the camp presented a terrifying picture of destruction and suffering. The Red Army soldiers who entered the complex encountered scenes that would remain in their memory forever.

At the time of liberation, there were approximately 7,000 prisoners in the camp. These were people left behind by the fleeing Nazis who were unable to participate in the "death marches." Most survivors were in extremely poor health - exhausted, sick, and on the brink of death. Among them were men, women, and children of various nationalities, including a significant number of Jews. The soldiers immediately began organizing medical assistance and food supplies for those who survived.

The liberators of Auschwitz discovered horrifying evidence of mass extermination. On the camp grounds, they found:

• Hundreds of bodies of victims murdered in the last days before liberation
• Piles of documents that the Nazis didn't have time to destroy
• Warehouses filled with property stolen from victims, including:
• 7,000 kg of human hair
• Thousands of pairs of shoes
• Piles of glasses, prosthetics, and other personal items

The soldiers also discovered remains of the extermination infrastructure:

• Ruined gas chambers and crematoria
• Mass graves
• Barracks in catastrophic sanitary conditions

The scale of destruction and amount of evidence shocked even experienced soldiers. Documentation of the findings began immediately, later serving as key evidence in war criminal trials. These discoveries confirmed the scale of the Holocaust and other Nazi crimes, revealing to the world the full extent of the cruelty experienced by Auschwitz prisoners.

The liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau camp on January 27, 1945, was a turning point in the history of World War II and the Holocaust. This event had enormous significance not only for the surviving prisoners but also for the entire world, revealing the full scale of Nazi crimes.

The liberation of Auschwitz had a profound impact on international awareness. It revealed the horrifying truth about the systematic genocide carried out by the Nazis. Photos and accounts from the camp quickly spread worldwide, causing shock and disbelief. Documentation found at Auschwitz became key evidence in the Nuremberg trials, contributing to the conviction of Nazi war criminals. This discovery led to the establishment of new international laws and conventions aimed at preventing similar crimes in the future.

For Holocaust survivors, the liberation of Auschwitz holds deep symbolic meaning. It represents the end of unimaginable suffering and the beginning of a new life. January 27 became the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, established by the UN in 2005. This day serves as an annual reminder of the Holocaust tragedies and a call to combat antisemitism, racism, and other forms of intolerance. For many survivors and their families, Auschwitz remains a place of pilgrimage where they pay tribute to the murdered and remind the world of the necessity to preserve the memory of the victims.

• Auschwitz-Birkenau camp was liberated on January 27, 1945, by Red Army soldiers.
• At the time of liberation, there were about 7,000 prisoners in the camp, mostly sick and unable to evacuate.
• Earlier, on January 17, 1945, the camp evacuation and "death marches" began, during which about 15,000 people died.
• The liberation revealed to the world the scale of Nazi crimes and became a symbol of the Holocaust's end.
• January 27 was established as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
• Discoveries made at Auschwitz contributed to the conviction of Nazi criminals during the Nuremberg trials.

The liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on January 27, 1945, marks a pivotal moment in World War II history. It ended an era of unimaginable suffering for millions of victims of the Nazi regime.

This event not only brought freedom to the surviving prisoners but also revealed to the world the scale of committed atrocities. It became a symbol of humanity's triumph over barbarism.

Today, this date serves as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, reminding us of the tragic past and calling for the fight against intolerance in the modern world.