The world marked 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on Monday, with some of the few remaining survivors attending ceremonies at the site of the Nazi death camp.

Auschwitz was the largest of the extermination camps and has become a symbol of Nazi Germany's genocide of six million European Jews, one million of whom died at the site between 1940 and 1945, along with more than 100,000 non-Jews.

On Monday morning, Polish President Andrzej Duda laid flowers at the site alongside survivors, some wearing scarves in the blue-and-white stripes of their death camp uniforms.

Around 50 survivors were expected at the main commemoration outside the gates of Auschwitz II-Birkenau alongside dozens of world leaders.

"This year we will focus on the survivors and their message," Auschwitz Museum spokesman Pawel Sawicki told AFP.

"There will not be any speeches by politicians."

Survivors around the world spoke about the need to preserve the memory of what happened when there will no longer be living witnesses.

They also warned about rising hatred and anti-Semitism around the world and spoke of their fears about history repeating itself.

Organisers said it could be the last major anniversary with such a large group of survivors.

"We all know that in 10 years it will not be possible to have a large group for the 90th anniversary," Sawicki said.

Auschwitz was created in 1940 using barracks in Oswiecim, southern Poland. Its name was Germanised into Auschwitz by the Nazis.

The first 728 Polish political prisoners arrived on June 14 of that year.

On January 17, 1945, as Soviet troops advanced, the SS forced 60,000 emaciated prisoners to walk west in what became known as the "Death March".

From January 21-26, the Germans blew up the Birkenau gas chambers and crematoria and withdrew as Soviet troops approached.

On January 27, Soviet troops arrived, finding 7,000 survivors.

The day of its liberation has been designated by the United Nations as Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Until the conflict with Ukraine in 2022, a Russian delegation had always attended the annual liberation ceremony but Moscow will be barred again this year. (AFP)