On the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the infamous Nazi death camp where nearly half a million Hungarian Jews lost their lives, Tamás Léderer still grapples with the haunting feeling that the world has not fully learned from the horrors of the Holocaust.
Born in Budapest in 1938, Léderer survived the Holocaust by hiding in basements throughout Hungary’s capital. His parents, defying Nazi laws, tore the mandatory yellow star from his clothing to keep his Jewish identity concealed. “I must not forget,” he said, recalling the loss of 565,000 Hungarian Jews during the genocide. “In my subconscious, I can never get over the possibility that a six-pointed star could be placed on my gate again at any moment. It is always in my mind.”
The Holocaust Tragedy of Auschwitz
As the world observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, marking the date the Soviet Red Army liberated Auschwitz in 1945, Léderer’s reflections underscore the enduring scars of history. The Nazis killed an estimated 6 million European Jews during the Holocaust, with nearly 10% from Hungarian territories. At Auschwitz-Birkenau, approximately 1.1 million people were murdered, including 435,000 Hungarian Jews—more than any other nationality.
The Weight of Holocaust’s Memory for Future Generations
Tamás Verő, a prominent rabbi in Budapest, also carries the legacy of the Holocaust in his family. His grandmother, a survivor of Auschwitz, once expressed gratitude that he became a rabbi, ensuring that the genocide would never be forgotten. “We carry in our genes what our grandparents’ or our parents’ generation went through,” Verő told The Associated Press. “To happily observe Jewish holidays or maintain Jewish traditions at home, their experiences must remain fresh in our memory.”
At the outbreak of World War II, Hungary allied with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy as part of the Axis powers. Regent Miklós Horthy sought to regain territories lost after World War I and cooperated with Adolf Hitler to achieve this aim. Despite implementing Europe’s first anti-Jewish laws in 1920, Horthy initially resisted German demands to deport Hungary’s Jewish population.
However, fearing Horthy’s defection to the Allies, Hitler ordered the invasion of Hungary in March 1944. In the following months, mass deportations began. Between March and May, 435,000 Hungarian Jews—primarily from rural areas—were sent to Auschwitz, where most were killed upon arrival. As the war neared its end, Hungary’s fascist Arrow Cross party murdered thousands more, shooting Jews into the Danube River in Budapest.
Commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day
On Monday, Rabbi Verő led a prayer at Budapest’s Holocaust Memorial Center, where survivors and others gathered to remember the victims. Dr. András Zima, the center’s director, described Auschwitz as “the largest Hungarian mass grave.” Verő emphasized that preserving Holocaust memories is vital to preventing future atrocities. “By learning from the past, we commit ourselves to ensuring nothing similar happens to anyone else.”
Unresolved Shadows of the Past
For Léderer, who now works as an artist outside Budapest, Hungary’s role in the Holocaust remains a painful topic. He believes the nation has yet to fully confront its collaboration with the Nazis. “Hungarian society refuses to face its past,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time before we get to a moment where people think the time has come to hate someone again.”
The haunting memories of Auschwitz and the Holocaust’s horrors remind the world of the dangers of hatred and the importance of vigilance against prejudice. As survivors like Léderer and leaders like Rabbi Verő continue to share their stories, they urge humanity to remember and to act.
