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Home / Destination / Europe / Holocaust Memorial Day

Holocaust Memorial Day

January 27, 2014 by Gretta Schifano 20 Comments

Quote from Anne Frank's father, Otto

Quote from Anne Frank’s father, Otto

On 27th January, 1945 Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated from the Nazis by Allied troops. The anniversary of this date is now known as Holocaust Memorial Day and is a chance to remember  the millions of innocent people who died in the Holocaust and in other genocides. Of the six million people who died in the Holocaust, most of them Jewish, more than one million perished at Auschwitz alone.

I’ve not been to Auschwitz but on my travels I have visited some beautiful European places where the Jews who were murdered during World War II are remembered, and have also seen a Jewish building abandoned centuries ago. At Budapest’s Great Synagogue,  Amsterdam’s Anne Frank Museum and at the medieval Jewish baths I visited in Spain I felt huge sadness at the cruelty these places represent but also hope that the memory of what happened is being preserved.

The Great Synagogue in Budapest is the largest in Europe – it was built in the 1850s and can accommodate up to 3,000 people. It’s a grand, impressive building which also has a museum of Jewish history including artefacts from ancient Rome as well as a Holocaust Memorial room. Outside at the back of the building is a beautiful silver sculpture of a weeping willow in memory of the 600,000 Hungarian Jews who were killed by the Nazis in the Holocaust:

Holocaust memorial, Budapest. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Holocaust memorial, Budapest. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Amsterdam’s Anne Frank Museum is in the building where the young diarist lived in secret with her family and four other Jews from 1942 until 1944. Anne was 13 when they went into hiding from the Nazis, 15 when she and the others were betrayed and sent to concentration camps where all of them died apart from Anne’s father. You can still see the marks on the wall where Anne’s mother recorded the heights of her growing children. It’s a moving and sombre place to visit and quite difficult for children to understand, even though the focus is a child, the young Anne. However the museum has a great interactive website which explains the issues really well.

The medieval Jewish baths I visited in Spain reminded me that anti-Semitism didn’t start with the Nazis. The ritual Jewish baths (below) or mikvah in Besalú in Catalonia were discovered in 1964. The building dates from 1264 and it seems that the entrance was hidden before the medieval town’s Jewish inhabitants were driven from Spain in the 15th century. These days visitors can see the baths and learn about their history with a guide from the local tourist office. Spain has now offered citizenship to anyone who can prove their Spanish Jewish ancestry, according to this BBC report.

Jewish mikvah, Besalú. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Jewish mikvah, Besalú. Copyright Gretta Schifano

I’m glad that I’ve had the chance to visit these three very different places. Holocaust Memorial Day is an important event for all of us and it’s vital that we never forget what happened. As Otto Frank said: ‘The only thing we can do is learn from the past and to realise what discrimination and persecution of innocent people means.’

Family travel lowdown: Tickets for the Anne Frank Museum can be booked online to avoid queueing and when I visited cost €9 for adults, €4,50 for children from 10 to 17 years (under-10s are free). Entrance to Budapest’s Great Synagogue costs from 2,250 Hungarian Forints for adults. Tours of the Jewish baths in Besalú cost cost €2,25 per person and need to be booked in advance with the town’s tourist office +0034 972 59 12 40 or mailturisme@besalu.cat.

Disclaimer: I visited Besalú as a guest of the Costa Brava Tourist Board and my entry to the Anne Frank Museum was arranged by the holland.com for review purposes.

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Categories: Europe, Seasonal
Tags: Anne Frank Museum, Besalú Jewish baths, Budapest Great Synagogue, Holocaust

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

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Comments

  1. Louisa says

    January 31, 2014 at 2:01 pm

    A great post. Thank you for bringing this to everyone’s attention. I think it is especially important that we continue to talk about the atrocities that occured so that it doesn’t get forgotten about as it becomes something no longer within living history.
    Louisa recently posted…Things that make me smile #spreadalittlehappinessMy Profile

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  2. Emily @amummytoo says

    January 29, 2014 at 11:38 am

    Thanks for this. It’s a tough subject to read about but I agree it’s so important it’s never forgotten.
    Emily @amummytoo recently posted…Making hemp milk at home (recipe and review)My Profile

    Reply
  3. Aisha from expatlog says

    January 28, 2014 at 9:28 pm

    As fewer survivors live to see each anniversary it’s even more important to remember and learn from what happened. Thanks for the lowdown on the details at the end – very useful.
    Aisha from expatlog recently posted…Point & Shoot: Shopping in a snowstormMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Sam @happyhomebird says

    January 28, 2014 at 11:46 am

    A great place to visit and important for our children to learn about. I feel very moved reading this as you forget just how awful it would have been. I must read Anne Frank’s Diary again.

    Reply
  5. Kate Williams says

    January 28, 2014 at 6:23 am

    Great post, it’s a shame this day isn’t more widely makes in this country.
    Kate Williams recently posted…Like Pinterest? LOVE Tuesday Tutorials!My Profile

    Reply
  6. Pinkoddy says

    January 27, 2014 at 9:45 pm

    I can’t believe we have been to Holland twice and not travelled to see Anne Frank’s Museum, I will definitely go one day and thanks for the tip of booking online. I like that sculpture in memory of the Jews – such a tragedy.
    Pinkoddy recently posted…Spread a Little Happiness #MotivationalMondayMy Profile

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  7. Charly Dove says

    January 27, 2014 at 9:20 pm

    Wow what a fascinating post, such a great read. Thank you for sharing. The weeping willow is an amazing memorial
    Charly Dove recently posted…A taste of Moorea, TahitiMy Profile

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  8. Vicky says

    January 27, 2014 at 9:08 pm

    How amazing! I would really love to visit the Anne Frank museum in Amsterdam. Thank you for a peek into an important piece of history.
    Vicky recently posted…Cooking from scratch: one meal two ways – meatballs #motivationalmondayMy Profile

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  9. anna says

    January 27, 2014 at 9:03 pm

    It’s crazy to think that this is only 69 years ago, that’s really no time at all. It’s always important to look back and remember the lessons learned.
    I have been to Anne Frank museum a few years ago,before having children. It’s so sad, but Anne is really inspirational.
    The willow tree is beautiful
    anna recently posted…Reading Chest ReviewMy Profile

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  10. Kara says

    January 27, 2014 at 8:45 pm

    This is something my husband really wants to do but I am not so sure – that weeping willow is hauntingly beautiful though
    Kara recently posted…Ways to Add Value to Your Home’s GardenMy Profile

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  11. Mummy of Two says

    January 27, 2014 at 7:31 pm

    What a fascinating place. It must be very emotional to visit.
    Mummy of Two recently posted…Meeting Mickey and Minnie #magicmoments #whatsthestoryMy Profile

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  12. Trish - Mum's Gone to says

    January 27, 2014 at 7:16 pm

    A very poignant reminder. I’m very taken with the weeping willow sculpture – it is so beautiful.
    Trish – Mum’s Gone to recently posted…The best hotel in the UK?My Profile

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  13. Emmys Mummy says

    January 27, 2014 at 7:16 pm

    I’ve not visited the Anne Frank museum. I’ve been to Amsterdam many times and it’s always been so busy.
    Emmys Mummy recently posted…These shoes weren’t made for walkingMy Profile

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  14. Agata Pokutycka says

    January 27, 2014 at 6:53 pm

    My grandad was in Auschwitz, so this topic is always hard on me… hearing first hand stories was never easy and despite everything he talked about it with people… but we could always see that every story in bringing back everything what happen…
    People have to remember!
    Agata Pokutycka recently posted…Weekly Photo Challenge: JuxtapositionMy Profile

    Reply
  15. Globalmouse says

    January 27, 2014 at 6:51 pm

    A really interesting post. I have been to many of the sites and they are haunting….but so important to visit and remember.
    Globalmouse recently posted…Chinese New Year – Year of the Horse – Globalmouse CraftsMy Profile

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  16. TwinsplusTwo says

    January 27, 2014 at 6:46 pm

    So important to remember. With the Anniversary of WW1 starting approaching I feel this strongly but I dislike the political manipulation of such memories. We should learn from the past,m not manipulate it. Thanks so much for sharing.
    TwinsplusTwo recently posted…Can your child’s Gaming Habit be a Positive Thing?My Profile

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  17. Jenny @ The Brick Castle says

    January 27, 2014 at 5:01 pm

    I’ve been to the Anne Frank Haus and it was a really genuinely stunning thing to do. I’ll never forget a second of that visit.
    The Weeping Willow is possibly the most gorgeous memorial I’ve ever seen, absolutely beautiful x
    Jenny @ The Brick Castle recently posted…Lego 71006 The Simpsons House Review Part 2 ~ UpstairsMy Profile

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  18. Mum of One says

    January 27, 2014 at 4:43 pm

    Gosh, that silver weeping willow is just beautiful…and heartbreaking. I had no idea so many Hungarian Jews were killed.
    Mum of One recently posted…Monday Parenting Pin It Party #37My Profile

    Reply
  19. Susanna says

    January 27, 2014 at 4:19 pm

    I didn’t know about this date! My daughter is reading Anne Frank’s diary and is very moved by the story. I visited concentration camps years ago …
    Susanna recently posted…Family traditions: Making Gravenstein apple pieMy Profile

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  20. Sarah Ebner says

    January 27, 2014 at 4:12 pm

    So important to remember. Thank you for the post Gretta
    Sarah Ebner recently posted…The Roman Baths in…Bath!My Profile

    Reply

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This is a personal blog written and edited by me, Gretta Schifano. Sometimes I’m given products or sent on trips to review, but I always make this clear and give my honest opinion. See my About page for full details.

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