111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

Today, the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities (AIPG) commemorates the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and honors the memory of those lost during this tragedy. This day marks a devastating milestone that began in 1915, when the mass arrest of Armenian leaders signaled a horrifying shift from state persecution to a systematic campaign of total destruction. The scale and systematic nature of these atrocities were so unprecedented that they reshaped our understanding of mass violence, standing as one of the first modern examples of genocide.

The genocide began on April 24, 1915, when Ottoman authorities arrested and detained hundreds of Armenian community leaders and intellectuals in Constantinople, initiating a broader campaign of imprisonment, deportation, and mass killing across the empire. Armenian men were subjected to forced labor and summary executions, while women, children, and the elderly were driven on “death marches” into the Syrian desert. Deprived of food, water, and protection, hundreds of thousands died from exhaustion, starvation, and systematic violence.

Ottoman authorities, supported by auxiliary forces, carried out the majority of the persecution and mass killings. Beyond the immediate atrocities, the campaign involved a deliberate effort to eliminate the Armenian presence from their ancestral lands. This included the systematic confiscation of private and communal property—including homes, businesses, and farms—and the widespread destruction of cultural and religious heritage. Thousands of churches and schools were desecrated or repurposed in an effort to eliminate the historical footprint of the Armenian people, contributing to the enduring displacement of the global Armenian diaspora.

Historians estimate the number of Armenians who lost their lives to be between 1,000,000 and 1,800,000, representing approximately 70% of the Armenian community in the region at that time. The magnitude and brutality of these killings served as a primary motivation for the Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin to coin the term "genocide." His efforts ultimately contributed to the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which remains a cornerstone of the global framework for preventing mass atrocity crimes.

More than a century later, the pursuit of universal recognition and historical justice remains a global imperative. Recognition by more than 30 states and several international bodies reflects an ongoing effort toward truth and accountability, while highlighting the risks of silence in the face of mass violence.

The Auschwitz Institute stands in solidarity with the Armenian community worldwide as we honor the memory of the victims and the resilience of the survivors. At AIPG, we understand that universal recognition of these events serves as a barrier against dangerous revisionist and denialist narratives, strengthening the crucial processes of truth, transitional justice, and remembrance that foster resilient societies. Recognition of the Armenian Genocide remains essential for maintaining historical accuracy and for supporting wider efforts to prevent future mass violence.