YESTERDAY (January 27) marked Holocaust Memorial Day (HRD) across the world, which saw an international day of remembrance to pay tribute to those who have being killed in the name of hatred.

The annual memorial marks the anniversary of the 1945 liberation of the largest of the Nazi concentration camps, Auschwitz Birkenau, where millions of Jewish people, political prisoners and those of ethnic minorities were killed or enslaved.

Between 1941 and 1945, six million Jewish men, women and children were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators.

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As well as remembering those that suffered at the hands of Nazi persecution, the memorial day is a chance to remember other atrocities, including in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. 

While different locations up and down the country chose their own way of marking the memorial day, agencies in the North East and North Yorkshire marked HMD by turning their buildings or headquarters purple, which has become the colour linked to the annual day. 

Buildings including Darlington Market clocktower, Durham Castle, North Yorkshire Police HQ, Stockton-on-Tees Town Hall and Cleveland Police HQ were lit up in purple last night.

Here are photos of the buildings in purple:

The Northern Echo: Darlington Clocktower was lit up in purple last night to mark the memorial day. Picture: DARLINGTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.Darlington Clocktower was lit up in purple last night to mark the memorial day. Picture: DARLINGTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The Northern Echo: Stockton-on-Tees Town Hall took part in the memorial day. Picture: STOCKTON-ON-TEES BOROUGH COUNCIL.Stockton-on-Tees Town Hall took part in the memorial day. Picture: STOCKTON-ON-TEES BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The Northern Echo: Durham Castle was seen lit up in purple last night. Picture: DURHAM CASTLE.Durham Castle was seen lit up in purple last night. Picture: DURHAM CASTLE.

The Northern Echo: Cleveland Police Central HQ in purple for Holocaust Memorial Day. Picture: CLEVELAND POLICE.Cleveland Police Central HQ in purple for Holocaust Memorial Day. Picture: CLEVELAND POLICE.

The Northern Echo: North Yorkshire Police joined its counterparts in Cleveland and lit its HQ building in purple. Picture: NORTH YORKSHIRE POLICE.North Yorkshire Police joined its counterparts in Cleveland and lit its HQ building in purple. Picture: NORTH YORKSHIRE POLICE.

Elsewhere, many individuals, influential figures and places of worship also lit candles to mark HMD.

Durham County Council joined other councils across the region to turn their HQ purple, while it also arranged for Holocaust survivor, Uri Winterstein, to deliver a talk about his family's experiences during World War II.

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