Macclesfield came together to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.

Cheshire East Council hosted a service of remembrance at Macclesfield Town Hall on Monday, January 27 - the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi extermination and concentration camp complex.

Mayor of Cheshire East Marilyn Houston led the 90-minute ceremony, which included readings of testaments from survivors of genocide and their families, the lighting of memorial candles and a two minutes' silence.

Councillor Houston said: "Each year the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust set a theme – and this year's theme is 'For a better future'.

"There are many things that we can all do to create a better future; we can speak up against Holocaust and genocide denial and distortion; we can challenge prejudice; we can encourage others to learn about the Holocaust and more recent genocides.

"We should all remember that whilst the Nazi Holocaust ended almost 80 years ago, its impact is still felt today. So too are the subsequent genocides, such as those in Cambodia and Rwanda."

Cllr Michael Gorman, Cllr Nick Mannion, Leah Burman and Cllr Marilyn Houston (Credit: CEC)

Holocaust Memorial Day is marked each year on or around January 27 – the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by the Soviet army in 1945 – to commemorate the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered in the Holocaust by the Nazis and their collaborators.

The day also commemorates the victims of more recent genocides recognised by the UK government, including those in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

Monday's service at Macclesfield Town Hall was attended by around 100 people, including civic dignitaries, members of the public and students and staff from Tytherington School and All Hallows Catholic College.

Deputy leader of the council, Dave Gorman's father was an Allied prisoner of war used as forced labour at Auschwitz and survived a forced 'death march' in winter 1945.

Speaking at the service, he said: "My father's experiences of Auschwitz and what he saw haunted him for the rest of his life.

"So, I urge you all to read about the Holocaust.

"Learn about it and talk about it among your friends and family – so that it can never happen again."

The leader of Cheshire East Council, councillor Nick Mannion, gave a short address before reading the poem 'First they came. . .', by the German theologian and pastor Martin Niemöller. 

"Many people have responded to the atrocities of past genocides through poetry," said councillor Mannion.

"This poem, 'First they came. . .', is very short, and deals with the themes of persecution, guilt, repentance, solidarity and personal responsibility."

 There was also a talk from guest speaker, Leah Burman of the Northern Holocaust Education Group.

She recounted the harrowing story of her father, Ziggy Landschaft, who as a teenager survived the Krakow Ghetto, forced labour camps, the 'death march' to the notorious Mauthausen concentration camp and being shot while escaping just hours before liberation from the Nazis by the US army in May 1945.