University of Leicester to mark Holocaust Memorial Day

The University of Leicester and Leicester Museums and Galleries have teamed up to produce a programme of events for Holocaust Memorial Day.

Holocaust Memorial Day is an international day of remembrance for the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution and during more recent genocides, including those in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. The date of the day, Saturday 27 January, marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.

This year’s events, which include lectures, art workshops and exhibitions, have been organised by Leicester Museum and Art Gallery, University of Leicester Heritage Hub and the Stanley Burton Centre for Holocaust and Genocide Studies – the latter is the oldest of its kind in Britain and the first research centre dedicated to the study of the Holocaust to be established within a British university.

The events are as follows:

Stanley Burton Centre for Holocaust and Genocide Studies Holocaust Memorial Day Lecture 2024

Taking place on campus on Wednesday 24 January, the lecture will be delivered by Professor Benjamin Ziemann, professor of modern German history, University of Sheffield.

It is titled: “Then they came for me…”. Martin Niemöller, Protestant antisemitism and the problem of Holocaust remembrance in post-war Germany.

Visit the website for more details and to reserve a ticket.

Fragility of Freedom

Held between 22 January and 4 February at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, this comprises a Fragility of Freedom interpretation in the German Expressionist gallery, plus art workshops.

Visit the museum website for further details.

Online Holocaust Memorial Lecture 2024 by artist Barbara Yelin

Held on Monday 22 January on Zoom – details on the museum website.

Lighting up buildings

Leicester City Council will be lighting up the City Hall and Town Hall between 25 and 28 January.

The University will light up the Attenborough Tower between 27 and 29 January.

More information about what the University of Leicester is doing to mark Holocaust Memorial Day can be found on the website.

Read the blog from the University's Library and Learning Services about The Majut Collection.