VICTIMS of the Holocaust and the Srebrenica genocide are being remembered during a special event in Somerset.

Somerset Council is taking part in a national Holocaust Memorial Day initiative marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and Birkenau, and the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide.

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust selected 80 organisations across the UK to take part in its 80 candles for 80 years initiative, including Somerset.

As part of the project, the council worked with an artist to create a handcrafted willow candleholder to accompany a memorial candle, which arrived at Taunton Library on January 5.

It will remain there until January 16 as part of the effort to encourage ongoing reflection and dialogue about the Holocaust, subsequent genocides and contemporary suffering.

“As the candleholder travelled across Somerset, it evolved into a community craft initiative, with people invited to create ribbon flowers in colours representing groups persecuted under Nazi rule and victims of later genocides,” a council spokesperson said.

“These include Jewish people, Black communities, people with disabilities, Sinti and Roma, Slavic communities, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Freemasons, Trade Unionists, Communists and LGBTQ+ people, as well as those affected by genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia, Sudan and elsewhere.

“At each location, individuals were invited to share personal and family stories, many for the first time. These included accounts from descendants of Holocaust survivors and from families whose relatives witnessed the camps during the Second World War, creating a safe and respectful space for these important narratives to be heard.

“The initiative also recognises those affected by conflicts in the Far East, including Commonwealth soldiers from Africa and Asia, and has highlighted Somerset’s own global historical connections, from links to Nuremberg trial witnesses to stories of prisoner-of-war rescues from Burma.”

As the candleholder travels across Somerset, people are being invited to take part, whether by crafting a ribbon flower, sharing a story, or simply listening.

“Through these collective acts of remembrance, we are helping to ensure that the lessons of history are not forgotten, and that every voice and experience is valued,” the spokesperson added.

Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts, lead executive member for communities at the council, said: “This project reminds us that remembrance is not just about looking back, but about listening, learning and standing together today. Seeing people across Somerset come together to share stories, some painful, some deeply personal, has been incredibly powerful.

“By acknowledging all those who were persecuted, and by recognising our own local connections to these global events, we reaffirm our commitment to inclusion, compassion and the responsibility to challenge hatred wherever it appears.”

READ MORE: History news from your Somerset Leveller