For the Living

In January 1945, after enduring two years in a death camp, then 10-year-old Marcel, who was liberated by advancing Russian forces, embarked on a perilous 60-mile journey by foot from Auschwitz-Birkenau to Krakow, Poland, through an active war zone in search of his surviving family.

Decades later, in a profound act of solidarity and remembrance, 250 cyclists from 12 different countries retraced the liberation path of the 84-year-old Marcel during the Ride for the Living. This annual event serves as both a memorial and a collective act of empathy, re-enacting Marcel’s journey while shining a light on the enduring battle between the extremes of human nature: dehumanization and empathy.