National Day of Remembrance of the Deportation
April 27, Sunday
History
World War II Period (1939–1945): During the occupation of France by Nazi Germany, tens of thousands of Jews, political prisoners, resistance fighters, Roma and other minorities were deported to concentration camps such as Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Dachau. The deportations were carried out with the assistance of the collaborationist Vichy government.
Post-war: After the war, France sought to commemorate the victims and heroes who resisted Nazism, even at the cost of their own lives. In 1954, the French parliament approved this day as a national day of remembrance.
How the day is celebrated
Official ceremonies. Ceremonial events are held at memorials to the victims of the deportation. Government officials, concentration camp survivors and their relatives lay wreaths at the monuments.
A minute of silence and reading of names. During the ceremonies, lists of victims are read out, and a minute of silence is observed in their memory.
Educational events. Lectures, exhibitions and meetings with eyewitnesses of the tragedy are held in schools, universities and museums to pass on historical memory to the younger generation.
Documentaries and theatrical productions. Many French television channels broadcast documentaries about the Holocaust and the French Resistance.