Mayor reiterates vital importance of educating young people about the Holocaust in an age of fake news and unregulated social media

• With the proliferation of fake news and unregulated social media, the Mayor says that the work of organisations such as the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, Holocaust Educational Trust and Holocaust Memorial Day Trust are more vital than ever
• Mayor reiterates commitment to ensure young Londoners are educated about the Holocaust at a time of rising antisemitism and hate globally
• The Holocaust reminds us what can happen when hatred is left unchecked and the Mayor is more determined than ever for London to stand united
• Sadiq to attend a service held at Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and Memorial in Poland marking 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today urged Londoners to remember and learn from the horrors of the past to ensure they are never forgotten or repeated, as he warned that the proliferation of fake news and unregulated social media means that the work of organisations such as the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, Holocaust Educational Trust and Holocaust Memorial Day Trust are more vital than ever.

The Mayor is in Poland today (Monday 27 January) to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

Sadiq has been invited to attend a service held at Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and Memorial, where he will join His Majesty the King, heads of state and political leaders from across the world alongside Holocaust survivors, their families and members of Jewish communities.

Together, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, they will remember the estimated 1.1 million people who were killed at Auschwitz and the millions more who were murdered by the Nazis. Around six million Polish people died in World War Two, one fifth of the pre-war population.

With the alarming rise of antisemitism and hate across the globe, the Holocaust reminds us of what can happen when hatred is left unchecked. The Mayor has emphasised the vital importance of education and his commitment to supporting young Londoners to learn about the Holocaust and other genocides.

Auschwitz-Birkenau plays a key role in educating Londoners and people around the world about the Holocaust. Last year, the site was visited 1.8 million times and around 300,000 people, including school children, visit each year from the UK.

In 2020, the Mayor attended a commemorative event to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and London provided a £300,000 grant to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, helping its work to preserve the site and ensuring future generations of Londoners and visitors from around the world can learn for themselves the truth about what took place. The contribution has helped towards preserving thousands of personal items like prisoner shoes, clothing, cutlery, eyeglasses and protecting the original camp infrastructure at Auschwitz-Birkenau site.

London is home to an estimated 145,000 Jewish people – making it the largest Jewish community in the country. The capital’s Jewish population grew significantly in the 1930s and 1940s when many European Jews fled to the UK to escape the Nazis, as well as family members of those who were murdered in the concentration camps.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The Holocaust was one of the darkest times in history and a terrible example of what can happen when hatred is left unchecked. That’s why it's imperative Londoners and others around the world are able to learn about the appalling events which took place at Auschwitz-Birkenau and the other camps.

“I am honoured to have been invited to join the official commemoration event in Poland to mark the 80th anniversary of its liberation. The powerful and poignant stories preserved here are an integral part of ensuring the victims are never forgotten and the horrors that took place here are never repeated.

“The proliferation of fake news and unregulated content on social media means that the work of organisations such as the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, Holocaust Educational Trust and Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is more vital than ever in equipping young people with a full and proper account of history.

“At a time of growing division and rising antisemitism and hate crime across the world, it's incredibly important that we all now redouble our efforts to remember the past and make sure we learn from it.”

Piotr M.A. Cywiński, President of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, said: “In an era of rapid cultural, technological, and social changes, amidst growing populism and the loud prevalence of hate speech, we must rediscover the profoundly valuable power of memory. It is from memory that wise warnings, guidance, and insights flow, enabling us to make better judgments, choices, and actions. Memory and experience are deeply interconnected concepts. I believe it is this perspective on memory that has connected Mr. Sadiq Khan with efforts to preserve Auschwitz-Birkenau for so many years. Striving to uphold memory among new generations is one of the most meaningful investments in a future free from hatred, antisemitism, and all forms of racism and xenophobia.”

Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust: “Today we mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the former Nazi concentration and death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, the place where approximately 1 million Jewish men, women and children were murdered by the Nazis. At the site of the former camp, Holocaust survivors, surrounded by their families, Heads of State and dignitaries, had a spotlight shone on their harrowing stories. Today, 80 years on, as survivors become fewer and frailer, learning about the truth of the past could not be more important, and ensuring the next generation understand what happened at Auschwitz takes on a new urgency. Thank you to the Mayor of London for joining this important commemoration.”

Olivia Marks-Woldman OBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust: “The Mayor of London is a steadfast supporter of Holocaust commemoration; the Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 Ceremony at City Hall last week was a moving and powerful event, and one we are proud to have supported. The Mayor’s unwavering commitment ensures Londoners never forget the lessons of the Holocaust. His visit to Auschwitz on the 80th anniversary of its liberation underscores this dedication. Auschwitz remains an enduring symbol of Nazi brutality and humanity’s capacity for unimaginable evil. It stands as a reminder of the devastating consequences of unchecked hate and bigotry. The commemorations at Auschwitz-Birkenau, once the epicentre of the Nazis’ genocidal campaign, will honour not only of those who were murdered at Auschwitz but of all six million Jews killed during the Holocaust.”