Commemorating the Legacy of Bergen-Belsen: 80 Years After Liberation

On the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, survivors and their families commemorated the profound suffering experienced there as they remembered the tragic loss of thousands. British and Canadian troops who liberated the camp encountered overwhelming evidence of human brutality, forever capturing the shocking realities of the Holocaust.

As the world grapples with the legacy of the Holocaust, today marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen, a concentration camp in northern Germany where tens of thousands of people, predominantly Jews, perished in unspeakable conditions. Survivors and their families gathered at the site to remember the harrowing history and the lives lost during this dark chapter of World War II.

The horrific truths of the Nazi concentration camps remained largely hidden until liberation revealed their grim realities. When British and Canadian soldiers entered Bergen-Belsen in April 1945, they confronted an agonizing scene of death, with approximately 13,000 unburied corpses and around 60,000 emaciated survivors. Through their mark of surveillance and resilience, these soldiers encapsulated an urgent witness to human suffering.

“There was no shortage of horrific accounts regarding Belsen, but the vivid testimonies of journalists, soldiers, and photographers resounded throughout the globe. The camp had its physical evidence intact, a stark contrast to other camps, as it housed both perpetrators and victims,” said historian Dr. Eva Werthmann as she observed the anniversary celebrations.

At Bergen-Belsen, conditions spiraled out of control due to overcrowding, leading to rampant diseases like dysentery, malnutrition, and typhus. Contrary to other extermination camps, Bergen-Belsen lacked gas chambers; however, its infamy was largely due to the consequences of Nazi cruelty and mismanagement. Tragically, the camp saw unprecedented deaths with an estimated 500 people succumbing daily during its final weeks, most notably including Anne Frank and her sister Margot.

The commemorative event saw over a thousand attendees, amongst them 180 British Jews whose journeys were coordinated by AJEX, the Jewish Military Association. Dignitaries, including Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, laid wreaths in respect of the lives lost inside the camp's confines. UK Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis contributed to the memorial service with a psalm, honoring the pain while echoing a call for remembrance.

Today, the remnants of Bergen-Belsen are scarcely visible. To combat the spread of disease, British troops made the harrowing decision to incinerate the camp's buildings. Now, a visitor center stands at the site, scattered with memorial stones and crosses that pay tribute to the countless souls lost. One inscription poignantly states, “Hier ruhen 5,000 toten” - “Here rest 5,000 dead,” encapsulating the solemn essence of memory that permeates the tranquil landscape.

As we remember Bergen-Belsen and honor the lives forever changed by its atrocity, this commemoration serves as a lasting acknowledgment of our collective responsibility to ensure the horrors of the Holocaust never repeat.