Chancellor George Osborne has unveiled a specially minted commemorative medal to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust.
The medal – commissioned by the Holocaust Educational Trust, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and Mr Osborne – was presented to Shoah survivors at a Downing Street reception on Tuesday evening.
Struck by the Royal Mint, it features the words “Liberation 1945” on one side, and a commemoration to the 11th Armoured Division of British forces which liberated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp on the other. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis assisted in the design process.
The reception heard deeply moving testimony from survivor Gena Turgel, who recalled her experience of being sent to, and ultimately liberated from, the camp in April 1945.
Guests including cabinet members Sajid Javid and Nicky Morgan and journalists Nick Robinson and Martha Kearney listened in silence as Mrs Turgel expressed her gratitude to Britain for its role in ending the Shoah.
Mr Osborne told HET supporters: “Here we stand in tribute to the fight against Nazism, in tribute to the millions who died, in tribute to the brave survivors, in tribute to the liberators.
“By our very standing we symbolise that freedom won and tyranny lost, and we restate our determination that freedom will always triumph.”
He pledged the government’s ongoing financial support for Holocaust education in this country.
A limited number of commemorative medals will be available for members of the public to buy.
HET chief executive Karen Pollock said the medal would “mean a great deal to the Holocaust survivors who rebuilt their lives in Britain after losing their homes, families and communities”.
To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.