Council marks Holocaust Memorial Day this January with Coleraine exhibition

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s Good Relations Team is inviting people to attend their exhibition in Coleraine to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

The exhibition will open in Coleraine Library (Queen St) on Friday, January 23 and can be viewed during normal opening hours until Saturday, January 31. 

Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Oliver McMullan reflected on the upcoming exhibition saying: “The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2026, 'Bridging Generations', is a call-to-action for all generations.

“It serves as a reminder that the responsibility of remembrance doesn't end with the survivors, most of whom are no longer with us – it lives on through their children and grandchildren, and actually through all of us.

“This theme encourages us all to listen, learn and carry those lessons forward. By doing so, we build a bridge between the lessons from history and hope for the future. I would encourage you to take time to visit this moving and thought-provoking exhibition”.

Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on January 27 each year, coinciding with the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau – the largest Nazi concentration camp.

The exhibition features a ‘Timeline of Nazi Germany’ with a year-by-year account of how freedoms were gradually restricted and removed from the Jewish people from 1933 onwards – long before the start of the Second World War.

Another resource outlines genocides that have taken place in other countries throughout the 20th century and in the early years of this century. Materials will also include ‘Faces of the Holocaust’ and ‘Personal Possessions of the Holocaust’ featuring both poems and reflections by participants following their visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Joy Wisener, Good Relations Officer concluded: “This year’s theme, ‘Bridging Generations’, highlights the crucial role of the next generation in preserving the memory of the Holocaust and carrying it forward.

“It highlights the power of listening to those who came before us, and sharing those stories with those who come after. Visiting this exhibition provides a meaningful opportunity for people to consider how we can all make our society a better place today, free from hatred, prejudice and discrimination.”

 Further information about Holocaust Memorial Day Trust can be found at hmd.org.uk.