The Holocaust

The Holocaust was the systematic, state-organised persecution and murder of Europe's Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators before and during World War II. Around six million Jewish men, women and children were killed, and millions of others, including Roma, disabled people, political prisoners and prisoners of war, were also persecuted and murdered. It stands as one of the most thoroughly documented genocides in history and is studied to understand how such mass atrocity was conceived and carried out.

After the Nazi Party took power in Germany under Adolf Hitler, antisemitic policy escalated from legal discrimination and the stripping of rights to organised violence. With the outbreak of war and the occupation of much of Europe, Jews were confined to overcrowded ghettos and then deported by rail to a network of camps. Some were concentration camps for forced labour and imprisonment, while others, the extermination camps, were built for mass killing. Auschwitz, which combined both functions, became the largest and is among the most widely known.

Resistance and rescue occurred alongside the killing. Some individuals, such as the industrialist who saved many workers later remembered through accounts of his factory, sheltered or protected Jews at great personal risk. After the war, efforts to document the crimes, identify perpetrators and remember the victims led to war-crimes trials and to institutions and memorials, including Yad Vashem and the work of Nazi-hunters such as Simon Wiesenthal. Today numerous memorials and museums preserve the memory of the victims and serve as a warning against genocide and hatred.

Frequently asked questions

What was the Holocaust?

It was the systematic genocide of about six million European Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War II, carried out through persecution, ghettos, deportation and mass killing in camps.

What was the difference between concentration and extermination camps?

Concentration camps imprisoned people for forced labour and detention, with high death rates from conditions and abuse. Extermination camps were designed specifically for mass killing on arrival.

What is Yad Vashem?

Yad Vashem is an institution dedicated to remembering the victims of the Holocaust, documenting its history, and honouring those who risked their lives to save Jews during the genocide.