29 January 2025, 17:30 for 18:00
Join us to commemorate
International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025
Marking 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau
The commemoration will feature formal remarks, a survivor candle lighting, musical performance by Dr Sharon de Kock, and a keynote address by Professor Shirli Gilbert on Jewish Refugees from Nazism in Africa.
In the twenty-first century, Auschwitz—with its barracks, striped uniforms, and railroad tracks—has become the dominant icon of the Holocaust. In this talk, we will explore an aspect of Holocaust history that has long stood in the shadow of Auschwitz: the story of refugees. In particular, we will focus in on the almost 10,000 Jews from Nazi Europe who ended up in sub-Saharan Africa. Although these refugees reached physical safety, they suffered the effects of loss and displacement for decades after the war. How did they come to Africa, and what were their experiences in the far-flung destinations where they arrived? As we mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, we shine light on a lesser-known aspect of Holocaust history, which is nonetheless as important as the camps for our understanding of the genocide’s impact.
Shirli Gilbert is Professor of Modern Jewish History at University College London. She obtained her D. Phil in Modern History from the University of Oxford and was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Society of Fellows at the University of Michigan, and is the director of the Sir Martin Gilbert Learning Centre. She has published widely on modern Jewish life, particularly the Holocaust and its legacies, and Jews in South Africa. She is currently completing her fourth book, titled The Holocaust and Sub-Saharan Africa: A Documentary History (with Roni Mikel-Arieli).