On Monday, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, coinciding with International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the British aristocrat participated in the ceremonies in Oświęcim, in southern Poland.
During World War II, this site was on German-occupied Polish land, where the Nazis built labor camps that later became extermination camps.
The event marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of this site was attended by over 56 delegations from around the world.
Brzezinka, January 27, 2025. King Charles III of the United Kingdom (2nd from right), King Philippe of Belgium (2nd from left), and Queen Mathilde of Belgium (3rd from left) during the main commemorations in front of the historic gate of the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. Photo: PAP/Łukasz Gągulski
The first British monarch to visit Auschwitz honors the victims
After the ceremony, King Charles III, accompanied by a guide, visited Auschwitz I, which was built by the Nazis in 1940.
As the first British monarch, he passed through the gate with the inscription "Arbeit macht frei," which translates to "Work sets you free."
This phrase was misleadingly placed above the entrance to deceive prisoners into believing that hard work would lead to their release, when in fact the camp was a site of mass extermination.
During his visit to the ceremonies, the British aristocrat also passed through the famous gate of the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp with the inscription "Arbeit Macht Frei" ("Work Makes You Free"). Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański
In Block 5, where prisoners were held, Charles III viewed their personal belongings, including children's clothes and shoes. The king asked about their fate and, hearing how many of them perished, said, "It is unimaginable."
Oświęcim, January 27, 2025. King Charles III of the United Kingdom visits the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum in Oswiecim, marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz camp on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański
The monarch spent the longest time standing in front of a pile of suitcases containing the victims' belongings.
Auschwitz, January 27, 2025. King Charles III of the United Kingdom during his visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum in Oswiecim, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, observed on International Holocaust Remembrance Day (photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański)
To conclude, he laid a wreath at the Wall of Death, where thousands of executions took place, including members of the Polish resistance, intellectuals, and residents of nearby villages, such as children who came too close to the camp's fence.
The king then signed the guestbook maintained by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and stood alone in silent reflection for a long while.
King Charles III visits Jewish community center in Krakow
Earlier on the same day, Charles III visited the Jewish Community Center in the Kazimierz district, the area where Jews resided before the Holocaust.
This is a significant place, as it was established through the king's initiative and with the support of World Jewish Relief, an organization with which the monarch collaborates. The center officially opened in 2008 in the presence of the then Prince of Wales.
Kraków, January 27, 2025. King Charles III of the United Kingdom (L) at the unveiling of a commemorative plaque during his visit to the Jewish Community Center in Kraków, marking his participation in the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp, observed on International Holocaust Remembrance
King Charles III's speech sparks criticism for overlooking Polish victims of Auschwitz
„To be in Poland on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as we commemorate eighty years since the liberation of Auschwitz, is both a sombre and indeed a sacred moment.
It is a moment when we recall the six million Jews, old and young, who were systematically murdered, together with Sinti, Roma, disabled people, members of the L.G.B.T. community, political prisoners, and so many others upon whom the Nazis inflicted their violence and hatred,” said King Charles III during his speech at the Jewish Community Center in Kraków.
These words were met with criticism in Poland from the Head of the President’s Office, Marcin Mastalerek, who called it “shameful” that, in mentioning the victims of Nazi crimes, the British monarch did not mention the Poles imprisoned in Auschwitz, of whom around 70,000 were murdered by the Nazis.
“It was a read speech, those who wrote it should be ashamed,” Mastalerek added in a comment to Polsat News.
Monarch meets Holocaust survivors and commemorates rebirth of Jewish life
The British monarch also met with members of the Jewish community in Krakow and sat down with Holocaust survivors Zofia Radzikowska, Bernard Offen, and Ryszard Orowski.
"Does His Majesty remember me?" asked Zofia Radzikowska. "Of course, I do," replied King Charles III with a smile. They had met in 2008, and he had known Ryszard Orowski for 23 years, since his second visit to Poland.
King Charles III of the United Kingdom (2nd from left) during a meeting with Holocaust survivors at the Jewish Community Center in Kraków, as part of his participation in the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp, January 27, 2025. Photo: PAP/Darek Delmanowicz
"Here in Krakow, from the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish community has been reborn, and there is no better symbol of this rebirth than the Jewish Community Center, where we are gathered today," said the king, who unveiled a plaque commemorating his visit.
He also toured the center's FreeShop, which provides food and essentials to refugees, including Ukrainians like Wiktor Lasna and her daughter Anstazja, whom King Charles III met.
Kraków, January 27, 2025. King Charles III of the United Kingdom (L) meeting with Holocaust survivors at the Jewish Community Center in Kraków, as part of his participation in the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. Photo: PAP/Darek Delmanowicz
Survivor testimonies remind us "to enjoy freedom, fight against prejudice, and never hesitate to stand up against violence and hatred," the British king said in his speech.
He noted that the number of Holocaust survivors is steadily declining with time, and therefore the responsibility of educating and remembering the Holocaust increasingly rests on our shoulders.
King Charles III of the United Kingdom (center) during a meeting at the Jewish Community Center in Kraków, with Jonathan Ornstein, the center's director (2nd from left). The visit was part of the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration and extermination camp, held on January 27, 2025. (photo: PAP/Darek Delmanowicz)
Royal visits and the legacy of Auschwitz-Birkenau
King Charles III visited Krakow in 1993, 2002, and 2008. In 2002, he became the patron of the Jewish Community Center.
Auschwitz-Birkenau, the symbol of the Holocaust, was liberated on January 27, 1945. It was the site of the mass extermination of Jews, where at least 1 million Jews, over 70,000 Poles, 21,000 Roma and Sinti, 14,000 Soviet POWs, and many others from different nationalities, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals, disabled individuals, and prisoners of war from other countries, perished.
Brzezinka, January 27, 2025. King Charles III of the United Kingdom (center) lights candles during the main commemorations in front of the historic gate of the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration and extermination site, marking the day 80 years ago when the Red Army liberated Auschwitz. Photo: PAP/Łukasz Gągulski
Source: PAP/IAR/royal-news.org
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