Genocide Awareness Month
The Man Who Defined Genocide
Raphael Lemkin
Who Was Raphael Lemkin?
Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish lawyer, devoted his life to making genocide a recognized international crime.
Born in 1900 in what is now Belarus, he was deeply influenced by early accounts of mass atrocities, particularly the Armenian genocide. Horrified by the systematic destruction of entire groups, he coined the term "genocide" in 1944, merging the Greek genos (race) with the Latin cide (killing).
Lemkin’s mission was profoundly personal—he lost 49 family members in the Holocaust. Undeterred by limited resources and working largely alone, he relentlessly lobbied the newly established United Nations to codify genocide as a crime under international law.
His efforts led to the adoption of the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, a landmark achievement in the fight for global justice.
“Genocide does not necessarily mean the immediate destruction of a nation... It is intended rather to signify a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups.”
— Raphael Lemkin, Axis Rule in Occupied Europe (1944)
Raphael Lemkin's Journey
From a Polish lawyer to a global advocate for human rights, Lemkin's life work changed international law forever.
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Birth in Bezwodne
Raphael Lemkin was born on June 24, 1900, in Bezwodne, a village in eastern Poland (now Belarus).
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Law Studies
Lemkin began studying linguistics at the Jan Kazimierz University of Lwów, where he later earned his doctorate in law.
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Madrid Proposal
At the Madrid conference, Lemkin proposed international laws against 'barbarity' and 'vandalism,' precursors to his genocide concept.
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Escape from Poland
When Germany invaded Poland, Lemkin fled the country, eventually making his way to the United States in 1941.
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Coining 'Genocide'
Published 'Axis Rule in Occupied Europe,' where he first coined the term 'genocide' from the Greek 'genos' (race) and Latin 'cide' (killing).
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Nuremberg Trials
Served as an advisor at the Nuremberg Trials, where he advocated for including genocide as a charge against Nazi officials.
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UN Genocide Convention
After tremendous personal lobbying, the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
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Death and Legacy
Died on August 28, 1959, in New York City. Despite his crucial contributions, Lemkin died nearly penniless and was largely forgotten at the time.
DEFINITION of GENOCIDE:
Genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
Killing members of the group;
Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Defining Genocide in International Law
Lemkin's work fundamentally changed how the world responds to mass atrocity.
Creating the Concept
In his 1944 book "Axis Rule in Occupied Europe," Lemkin not only coined the term genocide but also provided the first detailed analysis of how it occurs.
International Convention
The 1948 UN Genocide Convention, which Lemkin personally lobbied for, defines genocide as acts committed with intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.
Legal Protection
Today, the prohibition of genocide is considered a jus cogens norm in international law—a fundamental principle from which no derogation is permitted.
Visual History
Images that tell the story of Lemkin's work and the ongoing fight against genocide.
Lvov University in Poland, Lemkin's alma mater.
Information sheet about the adoption and the contents of the Genocide Convention, 1950s. After the war, the United States Committee for a United Nations Genocide Conventions was founded. Lemkin was a member of this committee. It was dedicated to the realization and public promotion of the international covenant. © American Jewish Historical Society, New York, Raphael Lemkin Collection; P-154; Bo x 14; Folder 6
The United Nations General Assembly hall where the Genocide Convention was adopted.
Petition to the Members of the United Nations General Assembly in Paris.
Raphael Lemkin, who coined the term 'genocide' and advocated for its recognition.
Genocide Awareness Today
Despite Lemkin's work and the promise of "Never Again," genocides continue to occur.
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Approximately 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in just 100 days during the Rwandan genocide.
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The Khmer Rouge regime killed an estimated 1.5 to 2 million Cambodians through execution, starvation, and forced labor.
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ISIS committed genocide against the Yazidi population, killing thousands and enslaving women and children.
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Ongoing conflict and ethnic cleansing in the Darfur region has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths.
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The massacre at Srebrenica resulted in the murder of over 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys.
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Military operations against the Rohingya Muslim minority forced over 740,000 to flee to Bangladesh.
The Challenge of Prevention
While Lemkin's work gave us the legal framework to recognize and prosecute genocide, prevention remains an enormous challenge. Early warning signs are often ignored, international response is frequently slow or inadequate, and political considerations can outweigh humanitarian concerns.
Our Holocaust Museum is committed to education as a critical tool for prevention. By studying past genocides—including the Holocaust that claimed Lemkin's family—we can identify patterns, recognize warning signs, and work toward a world where "Never Again" is not just a slogan but a reality.
Warning Signs of Genocide:
Classification and symbolization of groups
Discrimination and dehumanization
Organization and polarization
Preparation and persecution
Extermination and denial
Educational Resources
Continue learning about Raphael Lemkin and genocide prevention with these resources.
Raphael Lemkin Papers
Access Raphael Lemkin's personal correspondence and professional papers in relation to his work on genocide.
Survivor Testimonies
First-hand accounts from survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides.
Teaching Genocide
Focusing on the crisis in Darfur, students examine what it means to pursue Lemkin’s mission to stop and prevent genocide in today's world.
UN Genocide Convention
Read the full text of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.