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 Mike Heap will lay a wreath during a service at the Cenotaph in St Peter's Square next Tuesday 27 January, 2015 - the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

This year it will also be 20 years since the genocide in Srebrenica, Bosnia, and with these 2 anniversaries being commemorated in 2015, organisers have chosen the theme for this year's Holocaust as "keeping the memory alive".

Councillor Heap said: "The purpose of Holocaust Memorial Day is to commemorate the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and subsequent genocides - to remember.

"The theme for this year's event will enable survivors to be at the heart of Holocaust Memorial Day, as people share their life stories and memories of their experiences.

"Those who have no direct experience to recall the terrible events in question are asked to remember those who were murdered and to honour the survivors."

The service in St Peter's Square, led by Inter-Faith Wolverhampton, 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.

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 in 2001 which 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.

Councillor Heap added: "Holocaust Memorial Day is our chance to remember the millions of people who were murdered or whose lives were changed beyond recognition as a result of the Holocaust, persecution or genocide."

  • released: Monday 19 January, 2015