70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp

Millions of lives lost, devastated countries and six years of bloody clashes after the Second World War came to an end in May 1945. A few months earlier, in January of that year, the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz was finally liberated by the Soviet troops

Auschwitz survivors, 70 years on

Auschwitz death camp survivor Jadwiga Bogucka(maiden name Regulska), 89, who was registered with camp number 86356, poses for a portrait in Warsaw, January 12, 2015. During the Warsaw Uprising in August, 1944, when Bogucka was 19, she and her mother were sent from their house to a camp in Pruszkow and then moved on August 12, 1944 by train to Auschwitz-Birkenau. About 1.5 million people, most of them Jews, were killed at the Nazi camp which has became a symbol of the horrors of the Holocaust and World War Two. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

Auschwitz death camp survivor JadwigaBogucka (maiden name Regulska), 89, holds a picture of herself from 1944 in Warsaw. Thecamp was liberated by Soviet Red Army troopson January 27, 1945 and about 200,000 camp inmates survived. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

Auschwitz death camp survivor Marian Majerowicz, 88, who was registered with camp number 157715, poses for a portrait in Warsaw, January 13, 2015. Originally from Myszkow, Majerowiczwas 17 when he was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. At the camp he was briefly reunited with his father, who told him that his mother and younger brother were both killed in the gas chambers. Majerowicz's father didn't survive the war. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

Auschwitz death camp survivor Eva Fahidi, 90, holds a picture of her family, who were all killed in the concentration camp during World War Two, as she poses for a portrait in Budapest, January 12, 2015. Fahidi was 18 in 1944 when she and her family were moved from Debrecen to Auschwitz-Birkenau. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh

Auschwitz death camp survivor Stefan Sot, 83, holds a picture of himself taken during the war, in Warsaw, January 5, 2015. After the war he worked as a typesetter at a printing house. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

Auschwitz death camp survivor Elzbieta Sobczynska (maiden name Gremblicka), 80, who was registered with camp number 85536, gestures as she poses for a portrait in Warsaw, January 7, 2015. During the Warsaw Uprising, when Sobczynskawas 10-years-old, she was sent with her mother and brother from their home to a camp in Pruszkow and then moved by train to Auschwitz-Birkenau. There they were separated into blocks for women, girls and boys. REUTERS/KacperPempel

Auschwitz death camp survivor HalinaBrzozowska, 82, who was registered with camp number 86356, poses for a portrait in Warsaw, January 12, 2015. Brzozowska was 12-years-old during the Warsaw Uprising when her family were sent to a camp in Pruszkow, she and her 6-year-old sister were then moved by train to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Brzozowskasaid that it was hard to say what had happened to them, that they were taken from their homes, family and lost their childhood. REUTERS/KacperPempel

Auschwitz death camp survivorBogdan Bartnikowski, 82, holds a family photograph as he poses for a portrait in Warsaw, December 18, 2014. After the war Bartnikowskiworked as a pilot and then became a journalist and writer. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

Auschwitz death camp survivor Henryk Duszyk, 80, who was registered with camp number 192692, poses for a portrait in Warsaw, January 12, 2015. Duszyk was 10-years-old during the Warsaw Uprising in August, 1944. He was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau with his father, brother and stepmother. The family were separated and Duszyk only saw his father once more before he was killed at the camp. Duszyk, his brother and stepmother were kept at Auschwitz-Birkenau until the camp was liberated. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

Auschwitz death camp survivor Laszlo Bernath, 87, poses for a portrait in Budapest, January 12, 2015. Bernath credits his father being a practical man with his survival of Auschwitz. He was 15 when they were taken but his father told him to lie about his age so that they would not be separated. Even whilst in the camp, Bernath had no idea about the gas chambers. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh

Auschwitz death camp survivor Laszlo Bernath, 87, holds up a picture of his family, who were all killed in the concentration camp during World War Two, in Budapest, January 12, 2015. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh

Auschwitz death camp survivor Janina Reklajtis, 80, who was registered with camp number 83043, holds a photo of herself taken during the war as she poses for a portrait in Warsaw, January 7, 2015. Reklajtis was 12-years-old during the Warsaw Uprising when she and her mother were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. They were sent to a labor camp in Berlin in January 1945 and were kept there until they were liberated. REUTERS/KacperPempel

Auschwitz death camp survivorDanuta Bogdaniuk-Bogucka (maidenname Kaminska), 80, poses for a portrait in Warsaw, January 5, 2015. Bogdaniuk-Bogucka was 10-years-old when she was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau camp with her mother. Bogdaniuk-Bogucka was part of Josef Mengele's experiments whenshe was in Auschwitz. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

Auschwitz death camp survivor Erzsebet Brodt, 89, holds a picture of her family, who were killed in the concentration camp during World War Two, as she poses for a portrait in Budapest, January 12, 2015. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh

Auschwitz death camp survivor Jerzy Ulatowski, 83, who was registered with camp number 192823, poses for a photo in Warsaw, January 12, 2015. Ulatowski was taken by train to Auschwitz-Birkenau when he was 13-years-old. In January 1945 he managed to escape with his family, as there was a lack of power in the barbed wire surrounding the camp. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

Auschwitz death camp survivor Jacek Nadolny, 77, who was registered with camp number 192685, holds up a wartime photo of his family, as he poses for a portrait in Warsaw, January 7, 2015. In January 1945 the family was moved to a labor camp in Berlin. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

Auschwitz death camp survivor Janos Forgacs, 87, holds a document as he poses for a portrait in Budapest, January 12, 2015. Forgacs recalls that he was in a group transported to a camp in a cattle wagon, with the windows sealed by barbed wire. A military officer told them to hand over their belongings, telling them they would not need them anymore. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh

Auschwitz death camp survivor Maria Stroinska, 82, gestures as she poses for a portrait in Warsaw, January 12, 2015. Stroinska was 12-years-old during the WarsawUprising when she and hersister were sent from theirhouse to a camp in Pruszkow before she wasmoved alone by train toAuschwitz-Birkenau. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

Auschwitz deathcamp survivorMaria Stroinska, 82, holds a family phototaken before thewar, as she poses for a portrait in Warsaw, January12, 2015. REUTERS/KacperPempel

Auschwitz death camp survivor LajosErdelyi, 87, holds a drawing made by a campmate as he poses for a portrait in Budapest, January 13, 2015. Erdelyi was sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau in May 1944 and was later moved to another camp. When he was freed he weighed under 30kg, but tried to walk home. He collapsed, and was taken to a hospital by a farmer. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh

Auschwitz death camp survivor ElzbietaSobczynska (maiden name Gremblicka), 80, holds her father's watch, which was kept by her brother while they were in the camp. Sobczynska said that she was robbed of her childhood, and lost the chance to experience a different kind of life. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

Auschwitz death camp survivor HalinaBrzozowska, 82, holds a picture of herself which was taken during the war, as she poses for a portrait in Warsaw, January 12, 2015. REUTERS/KacperPempel

Ghosts of Auschwitz

A general view of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, January19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

Suitcases that belonged to peoplebrought to Auschwitz forextermination are displayed at theformer German Nazi concentrationand extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim January 19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

General view of wooden bunks inside a destroyed barracks at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau near Oswiecim January 19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

General view of a 'wall of death' at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim January 19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

Discarded shoes are displayed at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim January 19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

General view of destroyedbarracks at the formerGerman Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau nearOswiecim January 19, 2015. REUTERS/PawelUlatowski

Artificial limbs that belonged to peoplebrought to Auschwitz for exterminationare displayed at the former GermanNazi concentration and exterminationcamp Auschwitz in Oswiecim January19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

The sign Arbeit macht frei (Work makes you free) is pictured at the main gate of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim January 19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

Empty Zyklon B canisters are displayed at the former German Nazi concentrationand extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim January 19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

A general view of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim January 19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

A general view of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim January 19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

Glasses that belonged to people brought toAuschwitz for extermination are displayed at theformer German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim January19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

An Israeli national flag is seen at destroyedbarracks at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau near Oswiecim January19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

Visitors look at a display of discarded shoes at the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim January 19, 2015. REUTERS/PawelUlatowski

A large tent erected ahead of an anniversary ceremony is seen at the formerGerman Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau nearOswiecim January 19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

A general view of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz in Oswiecim January 19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski

A large tent erected ahead of an anniversary ceremony is seenat the former German Nazi concentration and exterminationcamp Auschwitz-Birkenau near Oswiecim January 19, 2015. REUTERS/Pawel Ulatowski