OSWIECIM, Poland — On April 24, 2025, the air hung heavy with memory as Polish President Andrzej Duda and Israeli President Isaac Herzog led thousands through the somber grounds of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The annual March of the Living, a pilgrimage of remembrance, drew a crowd of Israeli youth, Holocaust survivors, and others to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Nazi genocide. This year’s march, marking80 years since the liberation of the death camps, carried an extra weight of history.
The 3-kilometer walk began at Auschwitz’s infamous gate, where the words “Arbeit macht frei” — work sets you free — still loom like a cruel lie. It ended at Birkenau, where the ruins of crematoria stand as silent witnesses to unimaginable horror. Duda and Herzog, side by side, moved slowly with the crowd, their faces grim. Before the march, they laid wreaths at the Wall of Death, a site where countless prisoners faced execution. The gesture was simple but loaded, a nod to shared grief and a stand against hatred.
The presidents spoke briefly to reporters, their words sharp with purpose. They framed their presence as a united front against rising antisemitism, a scourge that’s crept back into headlines worldwide. Herzog, whose own family roots tangle with the Holocaust’s pain, called the march a “testament to resilience.” Duda, his voice steady, stressed the need to keep history’s lessons alive, especially for the young. The crowd, dotted with students and elderly survivors, listened in near silence, some clutching photos of lost relatives.
This year’s march wasn’t just a ritual. It coincided with Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, tying the event to a broader moment of reflection. Among the participants were former hostages held in Gaza, their presence a stark reminder of ongoing struggles. The route, lined with barbed wire and watchtowers now rusted by time, felt like a bridge between past atrocities and present-day fights for peace.
Organized by the International March of the Living, the event has drawn global leaders since 1988. Its mission hasn’t wavered: to educate, to mourn, and to warn. The 2025 march, held under gray Polish skies, saw thousands walk in step, their footsteps a quiet defiance against forgetting. Some carried Israeli flags; others held handwritten signs with names of the dead. No one rushed. The weight of the place demanded slowness.
By the time the crowd reached Birkenau, the mood was both heavy and resolute. Prayers were recited, and a moment of silence stretched across the field. The presidents stood together, their suits stark against the faded remnants of the camp. No grand speeches followed — the place itself said enough.
The March of the Living concluded with a ceremony at Birkenau’s memorial. Participants numbered in the thousands, with estimates of over 8,000 attendees. The event marked 80 years since Auschwitz’s liberation by Soviet forces in January 1945. Approximately 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau between 1940 and 1945.