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Today, the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities (AIPG) commemorates the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. This solemn observance marks the beginning of what would become one of history’s first “modern genocides”—a systematic campaign of violence that forever changed our understanding of mass atrocities.
The genocide began on April 24, 1915, when Ottoman authorities arrested and detained Armenian community leaders and intellectuals in Constantinople. This coordinated action triggered widespread arrests throughout the empire, setting in motion a brutal campaign of imprisonment, deportation, and murder. Armenian men were subjected to forced labor and summary executions, while women, children, and the elderly were forced into deadly “death marches” across the Syrian desert, where many perished due to torture, assault, starvation, and exhaustion.
Historical estimates place the death toll between 1,000,000 and 1,800,000 Armenians—approximately 70% of the region’s Armenian population. The sheer scale of this tragedy profoundly influenced Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin, who later coined the term “genocide” specifically to describe the deliberate destruction of ethnic or national groups. Lemkin’s work directly contributed to the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, a cornerstone in the global fight against mass atrocity crimes.
Even more than a century later, the fight for universal recognition continues. President Biden’s formal acknowledgment in April 2021 marked a significant milestone in this ongoing journey toward truth and reconciliation.
The Auschwitz Institute stands in solidarity with the Armenian community worldwide as we honor the victims and survivors. We recognize that confronting historical truths serves as a bulwark against dangerous revisionist narratives and strengthens the foundations of resilient societies. Full acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide remains essential—not only for historical accuracy but also as a crucial component in preventing future atrocities in post-conflict settings.
