2. Auschwitz II death camp, Birkenau, Poland
A view of the main guard house of the former death camp Auschwitz II in Birkenau, a small village town near Oswiecim, Poland. More than 500,000 tourists, mostly Poles, Americans, Germans, and Britons visit the Auschwitz museum every year.

In a statement today, the British Government confirmed a £2.1 million donation to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

The money will reportedly be used to ensure the lasting preservation and partial restoration of the infamous camp.

The reason for the donation was outlined as, "to help ensure the lessons of Auschwitz live on for generations to come."

Originally active during the Second World War, the camp was a part of Hitler's "final solution", which saw the persecution and execution of nearly all Europe's Jewish population.

During the Nuremberg Trials, the camp's first commandant Rudolf Höss, estimated that over three million people had died while imprisoned in the camp. The exact number of people who died is yet to be proven.

Foreign Secretary William Hague commented on the decision, ""I am determined that the Government should take an active approach to preserving the memory of the Holocaust."Auschwitz-Birkenau is a searing reminder of the horrific consequences of intolerance and hatred. It should never been forgotten."


During a visit to the Jewish Museum in London Britain's Communities Secretary Eric Pickles reiterated Hague's sentiment, "Auschwitz-Birkenau is an important place of remembrance, it is vital that we do not forget it.


"We must ensure that the lessons from the Holocaust are taught today and to future generations. Today I am proud to reaffirm the Government's commitment to remembering the Holocaust."