Today marks Holocaust Remembrance Day and the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the largest Nazi concentration camp, in 1945. We honor the six million Jewish men, women, and children, as well as the millions of Romani people, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and others who perished in the Holocaust. This anniversary reminds us of the importance of remembrance, education, and standing against antisemitism and hate in all forms.

Pictured are close-ups of The Holocaust Memorial located in Freedom Plaza in Wilmington, sculptured by Elbert Weinberg in 1979.

“The Holocaust Memorial stands in Freedom Plaza, a landscaped space in the Government Center of Wilmington. The sculpture by Elbert Weinberg (1979, copper and concrete) was donated to the City of Wilmington by the Jewish Federation of Delaware and dedicated on December 2, 1979 to the memory of Jews brutalized by the Nazis. Weinberg chose to incorporate the Brutalist architectural style, popular at the time, perhaps to both reflect the nature of the Holocaust and to incorporate all that the commissioners asked of him, such as the names of every concentration camp embossed in rough concrete. Along with representations of tortured bodies, the artist offers an aspect of hope to counter brokenness. The site hosts an annual Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoa) by the Jewish congregations of Wilmington in the spring.” – wilmingtonde.gov