live from auschwitz, this is bbc news. it isa it is a cold, frosty morning here at auschwitz, as the world mark holocaust memorial day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of auschwitz—birkenau. the world is remembering today the 6 million mostlyjewish people million mostly jewish people who million mostlyjewish people who were killed during the holocaust, but the focus is very much going to be here at auschwitz—birkenau, where 1.1 million auschwitz—birkenau, where1.1 million mostlyjewish people million mostly jewish people were million mostlyjewish people were murdered systematically at the hands of the nazis

it is very chilling, sombre place, and it even feels jarring that the sun is out, when you think of what happened here. there will be commemoration throughout the day, and many of those will have been here before. we are expecting european royalty, presidents and prime ministers, and we know that the polish president has just arrived for a wreath—laying ceremony that we will bring you live pictures of. what everyone tells us is that they want to date to be about the survivors, and is remarkable is that there are some survivors, there are 50 of them, they are in their 80s and 90s, and they have travelled here from all over the world. many of them have been here before, and what they tell us is that they have come here to bear witness to what has happened, to remind people of what has happened, and to say that it must never happen again. they come here today, they are frail and old, they are being well looked after,

and some of the ceremonies they will take place inside a heated tent, because it is very cold here in poland at this time of the year. let's take you back, as we bring you these live pictures, to 80 years ago today. polish troops arrived here at auschwitz—birkenau and liberated the camp. joining me now is mary fulbrook who is a professor of german history at university college london. 0ur europe digital editor paul kirby is also here. mary, i know you arejoining kirby is also here. mary, i know you are joining us throughout here today, can you tell us what the red army encountered when they first arrived. ~ �* , arrived. when the red army came, arrived. when the red army came. they _ arrived. when the red army came, they found _ arrived. when the red army came, they found roughly l arrived. when the red army - came, they found roughly 7000 people who are still alive but they were exhausted and incapable of going on the death march that ten days earlier at the nazis had moved out those

who were still capable of walking, many of whom died on the death march, so those remaining were in a terrible state, totally emaciated, sick, close to death some of them, and it was a terrible sight. corpses, the dying... i think the other thing to note is that the other thing to note is that the russians found the remnants, the blown up gas chambers and crematoria, the ruins that the nazis had tried without much success to disguise, and the piles of possessions that had been left behind with the heaps of hair, discarded shoes, suitcases, prostheses, washing sticks, all the terrible things of the lives that the people who had been brought here to be killed. and there were about 7000 terrified and emaciated prisoners, many of whom ben didn't survive, but for those

who did, where did they go and what they do? you who did, where did they go and what they do?— what they do? you can talk about survivors _ what they do? you can talk about survivors in - what they do? you can talk about survivors in different| about survivors in different ways here. it is worth thinking in three different groups. there were the 7000 or so who the red army and others came in to try to help and nursed back to try to help and nursed back to life where they could. there are those on the death marches, who were scattered to different camps, some of them arriving as far west or south as much housing in austria or dachau in bavaria, or in eastern germany. labour camps, some camps in berlin for example. many of those were survivors of the death marches, and there are many — and this is what is interesting about auschwitz— there are many auschwitz survivors who had been selected for slave labour on arrival at the camp, in other words they were not here injanuary1945

when were not here injanuary 1945 when it was were not here injanuary1945 when it was liberated, and they had already been sent to the huge range of labour sub—camps, and many of those had managed to survive through the marginally better chances of survival as slave labourers. i should add, per average life expectancy of somebody selected for slave labour was three months, so it wasn't a very high chance of survival, but there are a lot of people who are survivors of auschwitz, with the number tattooed on their arm, who had been sent out to work elsewhere at one of the other sub—camps. we have this enormous range of survivors from different areas and from all across europe, which is partly why we have the benefit of so many survivor accounts in different languages, in different european languages, in the post—war period. european languages, in the post-war period.— european languages, in the post-war period. mary, stay

with us, _ post-war period. mary, stay with us. we _ post-war period. mary, stay with us, we are _ post-war period. mary, stay with us, we are starting - post-war period. mary, stay with us, we are starting to l post-war period. mary, stay i with us, we are starting to see some people arriving for the very early morning wreath—laying ceremony. paul kirby is with me now still. i know you have been here before and you have a very personal connection to this place as well. how does it feel to you on a day like today? it well. how does it feel to you on a day like today?- on a day like today? it is a very sombre _ on a day like today? it is a very sombre occasion - on a day like today? it is a very sombre occasion for i very sombre occasion for everybody. i think and feel that — everybody. i think and feel that. dignitaries are going to the execution while now. what i find impressive is that the auschwitz museum has appealed to survivors to come, because this_ to survivors to come, because this is— to survivors to come, because this is the _ to survivors to come, because this is the 80th year since liberation, and they know that the next — liberation, and they know that the next large commemoration in ten years' — the next large commemoration in ten years' time will not have so many— ten years' time will not have so many people here. they are talking — so many people here. they are talking about 50 survivors coming _ talking about 50 survivors coming this year. ten years ago. — coming this year. ten years ago. it— coming this year. ten years ago, it was 1500. next time, there — ago, it was 1500. next time, there may— ago, it was 1500. next time, there may not be more than a handfut —

there may not be more than a handful. as you say, personally, it has a lot of memories for me. i came here 30 years— memories for me. i came here 30 years ago— memories for me. i came here 30 years ago when a very famous writer— years ago when a very famous writer who _ years ago when a very famous writer who was also a survivor was _ writer who was also a survivor was here _ writer who was also a survivor was here i _ writer who was also a survivor was here. i felt there was a very— was here. i felt there was a very personal occasion for everybody concerned. this time, it is a _ everybody concerned. this time, it is a much_ everybody concerned. this time, it is a much bigger operation. thousands of people will be here, — thousands of people will be here, and what you will see later— here, and what you will see later is— here, and what you will see later is this enormous tense over— later is this enormous tense over the _ later is this enormous tense over the death gate at birkenau. this is auschwitz, it is different. you still have a lot of— is different. you still have a lot of buildings intact, which is impressive, but ultimately, birkenau _ is impressive, but ultimately, birkenau is where the true horrors _ birkenau is where the true horrors happened. and your famil , horrors happened. and your family, paul, _ horrors happened. and your family, paul, suffered - horrors happened. and your - family, paul, suffered tragedy? very much so, and i think that speaks — very much so, and i think that speaks volumes to, frankly, the jewish— speaks volumes to, frankly, the jewish communities across europe _ jewish communities across europe and around the world. i lost a — europe and around the world. i lost a grandfather here. he tasted _ lost a grandfather here. he lasted one month and a day as a slave _ lasted one month and a day as a slave labourer when he arrived.

when _ slave labourer when he arrived. when people arrived off the trains— when people arrived off the trains in— when people arrived off the trains in 1942, they had to trek— trains in 1942, they had to trek from _ trains in 1942, they had to trek from here through the gate that said — trek from here through the gate that said work will set you free, _ that said work will set you free, a _ that said work will set you free, a cynical message, as it did not. — free, a cynical message, as it did not, and some of those were allowed — did not, and some of those were allowed to— did not, and some of those were allowed to work as slave labourers, and he lasted a month— labourers, and he lasted a month and a day. the sister, her_ month and a day. the sister, her husband was in the netherlands, and their two daughters died immediately. as we are daughters died immediately. is we are talking, we can see people arriving at the death wall, holding a reef, and mary, if i could bring you in, this is outside block 11 in auschwitz, and it is hunting, prisoners were brought here and subjected to punishment in sales, and when you are taken in here, you realise that no

cells even had a place to sit down. for had to cram into one sell at a time, there were no windows, the conditions were awful. can you tell us a little bit more about block 11 and also this death wall?- also this death wall? well, block 11 is _ also this death wall? well, block 11 is really _ also this death wall? well, block 11 is really horrific, i block 11 is really horrific, and these tiny cells, i don't know if you have a photo or an image, they were really standing room only, dripping water, lack of food and drink. people were just standing there in the dark, and feeling they were about to die anyway. around that, there is the death wall in which people were shot. there is a room where a guy from poland devised various ways of killing people, there was something called the swing which you could prisoners over and lash them. this was just

brutal, brutal maltreatment. brutal torture and murder. a really dreadful place. inaudible so, what we are seeing now, there are some survivors there and people arriving at the death wall. this wall is outside block 11, where thousands and thousands of prisoners were lined up and shot at point—blank range. paul, we are also seeing the polish president here today and we are expecting him to speak. yes, he will be speaking shortly. he is next to the head of the museum, and we must not forget this is of the museum, and we must not foruet thi , ,

forget this is run by the polish state, _ forget this is run by the polish state, so - forget this is run by the polish state, so it - forget this is run by the polish state, so it is - forget this is run by the polish state, so it is a l forget this is run by the i polish state, so it is a very important _ polish state, so it is a very important moment for poland to show— important moment for poland to show itself as a country to the rest _ show itself as a country to the rest of— show itself as a country to the rest of the _ show itself as a country to the rest of the world and how it reflects _ rest of the world and how it reflects on the past.- rest of the world and how it reflects on the past. and we should also _ reflects on the past. and we should also remind - reflects on the past. and we should also remind people l reflects on the past. and we i should also remind people that poles were executed here, who were often detained for being part of the resistance? 70,000 polish prisoners _ part of the resistance? 70,000 polish prisoners were _ part of the resistance? 70,000| polish prisoners were murdered here, _ polish prisoners were murdered here, and — polish prisoners were murdered here, and that is about half of those — here, and that is about half of those people who were brought here, _ those people who were brought here, many political prisoners, and i'm — here, many political prisoners, and i'm afraid they all were executed, the 70,000, and for poies— executed, the 70,000, and for poles generally, it is seen as a shocking moment for the country— a shocking moment for the country from world war ii. we have spoken _ country from world war ii. - have spoken to survivors recently, a real privilege to speak to them, and i know you have spoken to speak to the