Wolverhampton will remember the victims of Nazi persecution, the Holocaust and other genocides around the world at Holocaust Memorial Day shortly.

The Mayor of Wolverhampton Councillor Milkinder Jaspal will lay a wreath during a service at the Cenotaph in St Peter's Square on Monday 27 January, 2014 - the 69th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The service, led by the Wolverhampton Inter-Faith and Regeneration Network, starts at 10.50am and will be attended by ex-servicemen and women, representatives from various faith communities, Trades Unions and pensioners' organisations, Civic leaders and members of the public.

The theme of this year's Holocaust Memorial Day is Journeys. It will highlight how journeys were experiences of persecution and terror for victims, how journeys brought survivors to the UK and how, in many instances, journeys home helped people start to come to terms with what happened to them and their loved ones.

Following the service, people will be invited to the Mayor's Parlour to sign the Statement of Commitment, developed for the inaugural Holocaust Memorial Day event in 2001.

The Statement of Commitment calls for people to remember the Holocaust, educate future generations about what happened and recognise that everyone has a responsibility to fight the evils of discrimination, racism and xenophobia.

Mayor Councillor Jaspal said: "Holocaust Memorial Day is our chance to remember the millions of people who were murdered or whose lives were changed beyond recognition during the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur.

"We're fortunate that we're not at risk of genocide here in the UK - however, discrimination has not ended, and Holocaust Memorial Day is an opportunity to create a safer future for everyone."

  • released: Thursday 16 January, 2014