good afternoon. we're at auschwitz in southern poland, the largest of the nazi concentration and extermination camps — a site known around the world as a symbol of genocide and the horrors of the holocaust. 80 years ago today, soviet soldiers arrived at auschwitz to liberate the camp, uncertain of what they would find. the nazis had destroyed as much evidence as possible of their terrible crimes. but historians estimate at least 1.1 million people died here between 1940 and 1945

— a million of those werejews. the other victims were largely polish, roma and soviet prisoners of war. in around half an hour, a service of commemoration will begin a short distance from where we are. the guests will include monarchs, presidents and prime ministers, but most importantly, and the organisers of the event today feel so strongly about this ——,. around 50 survivors of auschwitz. it will be held by the gate to the largest of the camps here — auschwitz—birkenau. one of the symbols of the commemoration will be a freight car that will stand directly in front of the gate and is dedicated to the memory of more than 400,000 jews from hungary who were deported to auschwitz. there have already been some commemorative events. this morning, survivors and families laid wreaths at what is known as death wall, where an estimated 5,000 prisoners were shot by the ss.

you can see the survivors of course wearing the striped material that they wore as uniforms. so poignant a reminder today of all days coming to pay their respects, lay there wreaths and place candles at this replica of the death wall. a very moving moment for those survivors coming here to a place of such horror. so many memories evoked today by this place and by that wall. are very sombre feeling, as you can see the candles there a tiny fraction of the lives that

were lost here. it is simple remembering the many thousands who died at that very spot. karen pollock, chief executive of the holocaust educational trust, is with me, as is james holland, a world war ii historian. thank you both forjoining me on this hugely important day. karen, it is a day of such significance, notjust significance, not just remembering the significance, notjust remembering the thousands who died here but also remembering the survivors.— the survivors. absolutely, i don't think— the survivors. absolutely, i don't think we _ the survivors. absolutely, i don't think we can - don't think we can underestimate the significance of today and being here at auschwitz—birkenau. 80 years ago when the camps were liberated was the first time the world really became aware of really what was going on inside this place. for survivors, this date means that we, the world, and listening to them, hearing what happened to them, hearing what happened to them, hearing what happened to theirfamilies, their them, hearing what happened to their families, their loved ones that they have lost,

brutally murdered by the nazis. with global leaders, with the king here, this really says, it sort of sends a strong message that this day is important, that this day is important, that we will remember, and we have got to acknowledge that 80 years on the survivors are in their late years, they are not going to be with us for ever. and so today isn'tjust about saying to them we remember but it's about as pledging for the future we are always going to remember, even when they are no longer with us. james, auschwitz has become a symbol of the holocaust, of the genocide. of the holocaust, of the genocide-— genocide. but it's also important _ genocide. but it's also important to - genocide. but it's also important to say - genocide. but it's also important to say the l genocide. but it's also - important to say the repression of the jews important to say the repression of thejews didn't important to say the repression of the jews didn't start important to say the repression of thejews didn't start here. of the jews didn't start here. it of thejews didn't start here. it didn't come it started much earlier, — it didn't come it started much earlier, and over half of those 6 million _ earlier, and over half of those 6 million were actually killed brutally— 6 million were actually killed brutally in cold blood with a bullet — brutally in cold blood with a bullet to the back of the head or hand — bullet to the back of the head or hand or whatever else. so this— or hand or whatever else. so this is— or hand or whatever else. so this is quite late in the day. there — this is quite late in the day. there were specifically designed and built extermination camps elsewhere in poland — extermination camps elsewhere in poland before this became an

extermination camp. this wasn't oriainall extermination camp. this wasn't originally built _ extermination camp. this wasn't originally built to _ extermination camp. this wasn't originally built to be _ extermination camp. this wasn't originally built to be an - originally built to be an extermination camp. of course, the full horrors of what happened here showed that it did, but to begin with it was more of a prison. absolutely, this had originally _ more of a prison. absolutely, this had originally been - more of a prison. absolutely, this had originally been built| this had originally been built as a — this had originally been built as a transient workers camping in the — as a transient workers camping in the early part of the 20th century— in the early part of the 20th century and was taken over by the polish _ century and was taken over by the polish army, then taken over— the polish army, then taken over by— the polish army, then taken over by the nazis for political polish — over by the nazis for political polish prisoners. and it sort of developed. and really it was the arrival of himmler injuly i942 — the arrival of himmler injuly 1942. they had already started building — 1942. they had already started building gas chambers here and instruments of extermination, but it— instruments of extermination, but it wasn't really until himmler came here that he decided _ himmler came here that he decided that actually we are going — decided that actually we are going to expand this camp massively and turn it into the monstrous beast it became. this old original barix block that was — old original barix block that was adapted, then birkenau and one of— was adapted, then birkenau and one of its— was adapted, then birkenau and one of its as well which fed the synthetic rubber factory, where — the synthetic rubber factory, where the prisoners worked as slave _ where the prisoners worked as slave labour. we where the prisoners worked as slave labour.— slave labour. we are waiting for the ceremony _ slave labour. we are waiting for the ceremony to - slave labour. we are waiting for the ceremony to start. . slave labour. we are waiting l for the ceremony to start. the dignitaries are arriving and

many have arrived already, karen. in terms of your role with the holocaust educational trust, what do you hope people will take from today?— will take from today? above all, 'ust will take from today? above all, just want _ will take from today? above all, just want people - will take from today? above all, just want people to - all, just want people to understand the unique and unprecedented nature of what the holocaust was. we are talking about 6 millionjewish men and women and children murdered, 2 million of whom we don't even know their names because not only did they get murdered but theirfamilies, murdered but their families, their communities, murdered but theirfamilies, their communities, nobody left to remember them. so it is so important that we take this moment and just say we understand what happened. but, you know, the other thing is this didn't happen from nowhere. when we talk about gas chambers, when we talk about the industrial nature, the industrial scale of auschwitz—birkenau this did not come from nowhere, didn't start with gas chambers, it didn't start with bricks through windows, it started with jewish people having to wear the yellow star, segregation, not being allowed to sit on a park bench or go to the cinema because you arejewish. these are small steps in the well,

quite big steps actually, but the small steps that lead to anti—semitism being so entrenched in society. so this isn't only about commemorating and thinking about those people we have lost command honouring those who somehow managed to survive this place and other camps, but it is also a warning sign of what can happen when this anti—semitism and hate takes hold. this anti-semitism and hate takes hold.— this anti-semitism and hate takes hold. ., ., ., ~ , ., takes hold. for now, thank you very much- _ where we are standing is a small part of the auschwitz site, as you heard from james, it was a monstrous site established in 1940 to deal with the number of polish prisoners after nazi germany invaded but after 1942 it expanded hugely to cover three main camps and more than 40 smaller ones. so the nazis could pursue the aim of their mass murder ofjews in europe. on a recent visit here, i looked around the site to see where the horrific events unfolded. the tracks in southern poland

that brought hundreds of thousands of people, mostlyjews, to auschwitz. brought in on cattle trucks, men, women and children were lined up for selection. those who were selected to work were taken to live in brick or wooden huts. but many only survived a few hours. this is the first gas chamber at auschwitz where the nazis perfected their method of mass murder. many of those killed in there were prisoners in the camp. many others never made it to the camp. they were told they were going to have a shower. they stripped off, they walked inside, and then they were gassed to death.

it's a place of ghosts and utter horror. for most, only once the deadly fumes seeped into the chamber would they know they were going to die. their screams could be heard beyond the walls. i'd heard so much about auschwitz before coming here, and i've been privileged to meet many survivors from auschwitz, but nothing prepares you for seeing it, and being in there and just imagining the... ..the utter fear and terror and desperation... i'm just a bit... i'm just a bit lost for words.

auschwitz grew to cover 15 square miles, housing up to 150,000 prisoners — jews, but also others, such as poles, the roma community and soviet pows. they were put to work in gruelling conditions, digging ditches and helping the german war effort, building weapons and infrastructure. this gate has come to symbolise the holocaust — the entrance to auschwitz. and every day thousands of prisoners would walk underneath this nazi slogan — "arbeit macht frei", which means "work sets you free". a hideous kind of irony. every morning the prisoners would walk to work, and every evening they would return, sometimes carrying the corpses of those

who didn't survive the day. conditions in the barracks were overcrowded, and disease was rife. so you can see the beds where prisoners slept. in a building like this, the number of prisoners could be between around 700—1,100 people. wow. sanitation was basic, filthy and with no privacy. at the sinks, a nazi mural instructs prisoners to strip off to wash, regardless of the cold. death could come for prisoners at any moment, in many different ways — the gas chambers, starvation, arbitrary shootings. forsome, conditions were so intolerable they chose to take their own lives. we know that people used the electrified barbed wire to kill themselves. do you mean if the prisoners threw themselves at the electric fence as a way of ending their lives? yes, that's right, so we know that the ss would shoot

them before they do it, they had to react, but we know that prisoners used this possibility to end their lives. auschwitz is a place of so much agony, it is overwhelming. from the pitiful mounds of possessions of those who perished... ..to the inhuman conditions in which some lived. but both survivors and curators believe it's somewhere that must be preserved so that we can never forget what took place here. because the story of auschwitz is a human story. it is a story of immense human suffering. to commemorate all the victims that were murdered here, we need to preserve this place as long as it is possible, to be a warning

and to be a lesson. yes, a warning and a lesson and we are here today to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of this place. we can see pictures now of the dignitaries arriving at the place where the commemoration is about to start. we can see some of what i'm assuming other survivors in the striped neckerchief is that we saw at the death wall as well. of course, so reminiscent, horribly reminiscent, horribly reminiscent of the striped uniforms that the prisoners inmates here were forced to wear, and where it is taking place is not in the main camp where i'm talking to you now, but it is about two miles away at auschwitz—birkenau just where the ramp brought the cattle trains in with people on board where the infamous election took place of those who lived and those who died, and those who lived went through what is known as the death gate. it is a hugely sombre place. james, the fact that this place is so enormous

that this place is so enormous that we can have this commemoration with hundreds of people there, but nowhere near where we standing now gives you a sense of the scale of auschwitz.— a sense of the scale of auschwitz. , , ., ., , auschwitz. yes, it is enormous. what really _ auschwitz. yes, it is enormous. what really changes _ auschwitz. yes, it is enormous. what really changes auschwitz. what really changes auschwitz is the — what really changes auschwitz is the arrival ig fahrmann, the huge _ is the arrival ig fahrmann, the huge german chemical pharmaceutical firm and it buitds— pharmaceutical firm and it builds one of the biggest factories ever built in the third _ factories ever built in the third reich, here to produce synthetic— third reich, here to produce synthetic rubber. the irony of it is— synthetic rubber. the irony of it is they— synthetic rubber. the irony of it is they never produce a single _ it is they never produce a single bit of it. only right at the end _ single bit of it. only right at the end of the war it was ready and then— the end of the war it was ready and then it _ the end of the war it was ready and then it was all over in 1945— and then it was all over in 1945 and _ and then it was all over in 1945 and it never happened so it was— 1945 and it never happened so it was a — 1945 and it never happened so it was a completely wasted effort — it was a completely wasted effort but this was the first time — effort but this was the first time a _ effort but this was the first time a private industry is harnessed together with the nazi — harnessed together with the nazi state and they are using labour— nazi state and they are using labour so _ nazi state and they are using labour so suddenly there is a reason — labour so suddenly there is a reason to— labour so suddenly there is a reason to expand it and i think we have — reason to expand it and i think we have this huge camp, let's build — we have this huge camp, let's build gas _ we have this huge camp, let's build gas chambers and they get built in— build gas chambers and they get built in 1942, there is an built in1942, there is an original— built in 1942, there is an original one here that you visited, _ original one here that you visited, and then a subsequent other— visited, and then a subsequent other one _ visited, and then a subsequent other one over there and then two, _ other one over there and then two, three, four, five one sixth— two, three, four, five one sixth is— two, three, four, five one sixth is planned. two or three can kill— sixth is planned. two or three can kill up _ sixth is planned. two or three can kill up to 1400 people in

one — can kill up to 1400 people in one day~ _ can kill up to 1400 people in one day. there is a delay in developing those because the people — developing those because the people that actually manufacturing the installations decided — manufacturing the installations decided to patented —— patent it. decided to patented -- patent it. ., decided to patented -- patent it. . , decided to patented -- patent it. that fact is almost impossible _ it. that fact is almost impossible to - it. that fact is almost impossible to get - it. that fact is almost | impossible to get your it. that fact is almost - impossible to get your mind around, they wanted to patented it. it around, they wanted to patented it. , ., . , it. it is horrific. it 'ust sort «i it. it is horrific. it 'ust sort of escalates. h it. it is horrific. itjustl sort of escalates. there it. it is horrific. itjust- sort of escalates. there is no sort — sort of escalates. there is no sort of— sort of escalates. there is no sort of grand plan for auschwitz, just incrementally becomes bigger and bigger and bigger — becomes bigger and bigger and bigger. only a very small proportion of people escape here — proportion of people escape here and those are jews at the very— here and those are jews at the very end — here and those are jews at the very end who then arrive here and _ very end who then arrive here and i— very end who then arrive here and i siphoned off to become labourers and then sent back such— labourers and then sent back such as — labourers and then sent back such as the shortage by the end of the _ such as the shortage by the end of the war— such as the shortage by the end of the war of forced labour and the other— of the war of forced labour and the other people are re—education prisoners but everyone else, you are there to die, _ everyone else, you are there to die, you — everyone else, you are there to die, you might work until you're _ die, you might work until you're to _ die, you might work until you're to be exterminated, you might— you're to be exterminated, you might die — you're to be exterminated, you might die through too much toil, — might die through too much toil, or— might die through too much toil, oryou mightjust get sent— toil, oryou mightjust get sent straight to the gas chambers but the end result is the same. _ chambers but the end result is the same, you almost certainly going _ the same, you almost certainly going to — the same, you almost certainly

going to die. we will hear from the few survivors who did manage to make it out. you have had so many stories from survivors and when i have heard them many stories from survivors and when i have