Find out what the BBC has planned for TV and radio to mark HMD 2020 and 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau

On 27 January, 1945, more than 7,000 prisoners remaining at Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of the Nazi's concentration camps, were liberated by the Soviet army. Now each year on the same day, millions around the world stop to remember the millions murdered during the Holocaust. As part of the commemorations, the BBC has announced a string of specially commissioned programmes, as well as a national event produced by the BBC on behalf of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT), which will be broadcast on HMD.

“We are delighted to be working with the BBC," said Olivia Marks-Woldman, chief executive of HMDT. "It'll enable millions of people across the country to learn more about the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and more recent genocides. At a time when identity-based prejudice and hostility is worryingly prevalent in the UK and internationally, HMD is an opportunity to learn about the consequences of hatred when it is allowed to exist unchecked."

Director-General of the BBC, Tony Hall, added: "This is an important moment to stop and reflect on a period in our history that showed both the worst and the best of the human spirit. That's why we've invested in drama, documentary and events to mark the 75th anniversary. We'll be telling new stories, as well as sharing first-hand testimonies from those who lived through the horror of the concentration camps. It's our responsibility as the nation's public service broadcaster to bring these stories to new generations and ensure that the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust are not forgotten."

BBC TV and radio listings to mark HMD:

UK Ceremony for Holocaust Memorial Day
This year's ceremony will focus on the theme 'Stand Together' and include readings, poetry, music and survivor testimonies. The event will be broadcast on HMD itself and honour survivors of the Holocaust, as well as the genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
Channel TBC, Monday 27 January

Confronting Holocaust Denial with David Baddiel
London comedian and broadcaster David Baddiel investigates the reasons why Holocaust denial is on the up, despite the atrocity being one of the most documented, witnessed and written about events in history. He'll speak to academics and historians to trace the evolution of denial since the end of World War II and find out why people are still denying the Holocaust today.
BBC Two, date TBC

The Windermere Children
This specially commissioned tells the story of some 300 child survivors of the Holocaust, who travelled from Carlisle airport to the Calgarth Estate in Lake Windermere in 1945. Directed by BAFTA and Emmy winner Michael Samuels and written by BAFTA nominee Simon Block, The Windermere Children is the first dramatisation of these events and is based on the testimony of survivors. Starring Thomas Kretschmann (The Pianist), Romola Garai (The Miniaturist), Tim McInnerny (Strangers) and Iain Glen (Game Of Thrones).
BBC Two, date TBC

The Windermere Children: In Their Own Words
Hear the story of the pioneering project to rehabilitate child survivors of the Holocaust on the shores of Lake Windermere in this powerful documentary, which coincides with the BBC Two drama. Featuring first-hand accounts from survivors, detailing their struggles with war, separation and language barriers, but also their feelings of hope.
BBC Four, date TBC

My Family, the Holocaust and Me
A new two-part series that sees celebrity judge Robert Rinder help second and third generations retrace their relatives’ footsteps and find out what happened to them during the Holocaust. Rinder will also look into his own family's Holocaust stories.
BBC One, date TBC

Belsen: Our Story
A one-hour documentary telling the untold story of the infamous Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where over 50,000 people – mostly Jews – died from starvation and disease in the last phase of World War II. Featuring powerful interviews with some of the last remaining survivors of the Holocaust, dramatic reconstructions and archive footage of the British liberation.
BBC Two, date TBC

Words and Music: Commemorating the Liberation of Auschwitz
BBC Radio 3's weekly show dedicated to music and poetry pays tribute to HMD with special edition of the programme. Actors Henry Goodman and Maria Friedman will read poetry and prose about life, death and liberation at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The special also features vivid, first-hand accounts from survivors, including Primo Levi, Victor Frankl and Anita Lasker-Wallfisch (who played the cello in the Auschwitz Women's Orchestra).
BBC Radio 3, Sunday 26 January

By Danielle Goldstein