Remembering the Holocaust: A Call to Learn and Act

Why did the Holocaust happen? 

After World War I, Germany faced deep economic and political turmoil. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power in 1933, promising to restore Germany’s strength. But instead of addressing wider problems, they blamed Jewish people for the country’s struggles, spreading hateful ideas that grew into official Nazi policy. 

The Nazis implemented harsh laws that stripped Jewish people of their rights, banned them from many professions and destroyed their homes, businesses and places of worship. In 1938, the violent Kristallnacht marked a terrible escalation as synagogues burned, Jewish property was destroyed and thousands of Jewish men were arrested. 

Jews were forced into ghettos, made to wear identifying armbands and deported to concentration and death camps such as Auschwitz and Treblinka. 

The ‘Final Solution’ and World War II 

With the start of World War II, the Nazi regime expanded its control across Europe intensifying its brutal campaign. Jews were forced into ghettos, made to wear identifying armbands and deported to concentration and death camps such as Auschwitz and Treblinka. 

Between 1942 and 1945, the Nazis carried out the ‘Final Solution’, a plan to exterminate the Jewish people. Six million Jewish men, women and children lost their lives in one of history’s worst genocides. 

Courage amid darkness: The story of Salvation Army officer Alida Bosshardt 

Amid the horror, there was still hope. Many individuals demonstrated remarkable bravery in the face of persecution. Salvation Army officer, Lieut-Colonel Alida Bosshardt lived and worked in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. She risked her life to protect Jewish children in her care. When German authorities closed the children’s homes, she secretly moved many to safety, cycling past Nazi soldiers with babies hidden in her bicycle basket. 

Her efforts saved dozens of children, and in 2004 she was honored with Israel’s ‘Yad Vashem’ Award for her courage. Alida’s story reminds us of one of the core principals of The Salvation Army: faith in action. She demonstrated the power of compassion and Christian beliefs in the face of evil. 

Genocide occurs around the world and targets various ethnic and religious groups. There are always warning signs. We need to recognise them if we are to learn from the mistakes of the past.

Learning from the past to prevent future genocides 

Genocide is defined by the UN as, ‘any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethical, racial or religious group.’  

The Holocaust is widely regarded as one of the largest and most systematically executed genocides in history. Shockingly, it is not the most recent.  

Genocide occurs around the world and targets various ethnic and religious groups. There are always warning signs. We need to recognise them if we are to learn from the mistakes of the past. To prevent this from happening again, we must first understand and acknowledge these warning signs including political instability, hateful ideologies blaming certain groups and rising discrimination or violence. Dangerous speech, armed militias and armed conflict often precede genocidal acts. 

Why does it matter today?  

Remembering the Holocaust is not just about honoring the past. It is a vital lesson for our future. Silence and indifference can allow hatred to spread and lead to unimaginable suffering. We must stay alert to signs of intolerance and injustice and stand up for those targeted. 

The courage of people like Alida Bosshardt inspires us to act with empathy and bravery. As we reflect on the Holocaust, we renew our commitment to a world where such horrors are never repeated. 

The Salvation Army is currently running an exhibition in Café 101 at its headquarters in London reflecting on the moment history darkened: 1933, the beginning of a 12-year campaign of systematic persecution and genocide that devastated Jewish communities across Germany and Europe.