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Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told a commemorative event in Ayr that "if we understand the very worst consequences of intolerance and prejudice, we are less likely to accept them in today's society.
"Remembering the Holocaust, and subsequent genocides, is an honour we owe to the victims. It's also a duty we owe to ourselves."
Ela Weissberger, 84 - a Czech Jew who was sent to Terezin as an 11-year-old - recalled performing in the children's opera, Brundibar, more than 50 times in the camp in an effort to keep up the spirits of inmates.
"Everything that happened to me and my friends in Terezin is deep in my heart and I will never forget it," she said.
"We have to continue to survive, and to prove that we are more than just numbers. We are free people now and we must let the next generation know what happened.
"Every time I finish my talk I think about all my friends who died. They never had the chance to grow up or tell people what happened. They are only now alive in my heart. Please remember my friends."
Pupils from the Kyle Academy who had visited Auschwitz spoke about their experience and their commitment to educating others about the Holocaust. Youngsters also sang an excerpt from Brundibar.