Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany carried out one of history's most horrific crimes: the deliberate murder of six million Jewish people and millions of others they considered 'undesirable.' This systematic killing is called the Holocaust, from a Greek word meaning 'burnt offering.'
How It Began
When Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party came to power in Germany in 1933, they blamed Jewish people for the country's problems. They spread lies and hatred, claiming Jewish people were dangerous enemies. Gradually, they stripped Jewish families of their rights — banning them from schools, jobs, and public places. Many Jewish people tried to leave Germany, but other countries often refused to let them in.
Think of hatred like a poison that spreads through society. It starts with nasty words, then grows into cruel laws, and finally becomes violence. Once people accept the poison of hatred, it becomes easier to commit terrible acts.
The Final Solution
In 1942, Nazi leaders met to plan what they called the 'Final Solution' — their plan to murder every Jewish person in Europe. They built special camps called concentration camps and extermination camps, designed specifically for killing. Families were torn apart as people were loaded onto cattle trains and transported to these camps. The largest and most infamous was Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland.
The Nazis didn't only target Jewish people. They also murdered Roma people, disabled individuals, political prisoners, Jehovah's Witnesses, and others they deemed 'enemies of the state.' In total, the Holocaust claimed around eleven million lives.
Liberation and Memory
When Allied forces liberated the camps in 1945, the world saw the full horror of what had happened. Survivors were often the only remaining members of their families. Many had lost everything — their homes, their communities, their entire way of life.
Today, we remember the Holocaust to honour the victims and to ensure such hatred never takes root again. Survivors have shared their stories to teach us that ordinary people can do extraordinary evil when they choose hatred over compassion. Their courage reminds us that we must always stand up against prejudice and protect the vulnerable, no matter who they are.
Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany committed one of history's worst crimes. They deliberately murdered six million Jewish people and millions of others. This mass murder is called the Holocaust. The word comes from Greek and means "burnt offering."
How It Began
In 1933, Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party took control of Germany. They blamed Jewish people for Germany's problems. They told lies and spread hatred about Jewish people. They claimed Jewish people were dangerous enemies of Germany. Slowly, Jewish families lost their rights. Jewish children were banned from schools. Jewish adults lost their jobs. Jewish people were banned from public places like parks and shops. Many Jewish people tried to leave Germany. Other countries often refused to let them in.
Think of hatred like a slow-acting poison in a glass of water. First it starts with nasty words, like name-calling in a playground. Then it grows into cruel rules, like banning someone from joining your class. Finally it turns into real violence. Once people accept that poison of hatred, it becomes easier to do truly terrible things.
The Final Solution
In 1942, Nazi leaders made a plan called the "Final Solution." Their goal was to murder every Jewish person in Europe. They built special camps just for killing people. These were called concentration camps and extermination camps. Families were separated and forced onto packed cattle trains. The trains took them to these camps. The biggest and most well-known camp was Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland.
The Nazis did not only target Jewish people. They also murdered Roma people. They killed disabled people. They killed political prisoners and Jehovah's Witnesses. They murdered anyone they called an "enemy of the state." Altogether, around eleven million people were killed during the Holocaust.
Liberation and Memory
In 1945, Allied soldiers arrived and freed the people in the camps. The soldiers saw the full horror of what had happened. Many survivors had lost their entire families. They had lost their homes and their communities. They had lost everything that made up their daily lives.
Today, we remember the Holocaust to honour all the people who were killed. We also remember it so that this kind of hatred never happens again. Survivors have bravely shared their stories to teach us something important. Ordinary people can do terrible evil when they choose hatred over kindness. Their courage reminds us to always stand up against unfair treatment. We must always protect people who are being treated cruelly, no matter who they are.