In 1941 the first Polish prisoners arrived in Auschwitz.
They were the first 1.1 million people that never left.
In the period between 1941 and 1945,
six million people became victims of the Nazi ideology,
which included hatred,
racism and anti-Semitism.
Most of the deported were Jews.
They were going to Auschwitz in hopes for a better life,
but instead they faced death.
Until their last moments,
they were being convinced
that they were just starting a new life.
Prisoners experienced starvation,
hard physical work
and never-ending pain.
In our understanding, the tragedy of Holocaust happened for many reasons -
not only because of anti-Semitism and racism
but also due the ignorance of the population
and the greediness of individuals.
Millions of innocent people had to suffer in the name of National Socialism.
When we hear the word "Holocaust"
we see a past that isn't likely to repeat itself.
However, traits like intolerance,
racism and ignorance are still present in our society.
A lot of people decide to close their eyes instead of dealing with them.
That is one of the reasons while bullying,
homophobia and lack of acceptance are still common issues.
How do we prevent them
from becoming the basis of a system like National Socialism once was?
We think education is the key to prevent us from repeating the past.
Therefore, we have to teach children
about history, ethical values and human rights.
We have to encourage people
to stand up for their opinion but still respect others.
Racism and ignorance still exist,
but if we work together and raise awareness for such problems
we can fight against them.
This can only be done in a political system
where everybody has a voice and can say their opinion freely.
A system like this can only work
if people don't ignore their right to vote
and they bear their responsibility in a social community.
We have to realize that all our actions have consequences.
And therefore everybody can have an impact
on improving our world to become a better place
because it only is bad if we make it so.
If we think about that now,
we realize that this goal can only be reached
if we educate ourselves
and the generations to come about everything that happened in the Holocaust
and how it came to be.
Only this can prevent us from repeating past mistakes
and can allow us to move into a common future.