Auschwitz – Birkenau

Museum and Memorial

A hub for education, remembrance and contention

What is the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and

Memorial?

• This museum and memorial has

been constructed in what was once

the Nazi concentration camps

known as Auschwitz I and

Auschwitz II-Birkenau. It has

dedicated itself to Holocaust

research and the memory of it’s

victims.

During the allied evacuations of Auschwitz

prisoners from January 17th – 21st, 1945 SS

soldiers were ordered to destroy camp records

and blow up the crematoria and gas chambers

that were located in the depths of the camp.

Their goal was to destroy as much evidence of

the camp as possible. Because of the Nazi

efforts to destroy the camp it has made the

conservation efforts of the camp extremely

difficult. Through funding and massive

conservation efforts this Museum holds one of

the most extensive archives of both camp and

holocaust related artifacts in the world.

The collection belonging to this museum is extremely extensive. It includes but is not limited too 3,800 suitcases, over 12,000 kitchen utensils, 390 camp

garments, and roughly 4,100 works of art- half of which were made by prisoners of the camp.

The collections are made available via photocopies or microfilm not only to researchers, historians who are working on projects related to the Holocaust and the

camp but also to journalists and film crews.

This archive is an incredibly important aspect of this Museum and Memorial, serving to draw both

international attention and visits to it.

Apart from guided tours and offers for students to study here abroad on

related topics the museum also offers E-learning and exhibitions relating to

the holocaust.

Beyond it’s obvious goal of education, it is

important not to forget this museum is not only

recognized as a world heritage site but is also a

critical site of remembrance. On January 27th,

2018 the 73rd anniversary of its liberation

ensued. Over 60 camp survivors gathered at the

museum and memorial to commemorate the

anniversary. They were joined by the President

of the Republic of Poland. As an artistic symbol

of its liberation, art was displayed by a former

camp prisoner, David Olère.

Cross Controversy

• Because it serves as one of the most publicly known Holocaust memorials it has struggled to make decisions on what to include in it’s displays and exhibitions, as what to leave out. Because of it’s location in Poland it’s largest struggles have been with the Polish church as well as Polish nationalists.

• In 1998 Polish nationalists attempted to

honor it’s fallen Polish Catholic Resistance Fighters by erecting 152 crosses in the main camp of Auschwitz. By 1999, after much protest, the crosses were removed. The controversy was sustained by the debate between a primarily Jewish memorial and Poland being a Catholic territory. During the heat of the debate Polish Catholics had threated to put up a cross for each year that Poland had been considered a Catholic nation.

“Love Sets You Free” Protest

In 2017, protesters with vague motives took off their clothes,

chained themselves together at the main gate of the

Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. They were also presumed to

have murdered a sheep during the stunt, however it is unclear

if the sheep was already dead. The protestors filmed the

demonstration via drone before their subsequent arrest. One

of the protestors has since mentioned in an interview that

the demonstration was meant to be a commentary on how

no one has learned any lessons from the Holocaust. The

museum took to the internet where it was met in agreeance

with the public that the use of the memorial for any means

other than remembrance and education was simply

abhorrent.

“Cooling

Showers”

In 2015 during a ruthless heat wave

the museum decided to install

cooling showers near the entrance.

This caused quite the debate

amongst the public, many calling

into question how appropriate it

was to have cooling showers

outside of what once was a

concentration camp, while others

said it was a publicity gimmick to

bring attention to the site.

Moving Forward

Up from approximately 100,000 visitors in 1946 to over 1 million in 2007 the

Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial continues to achieve it’s purpose

of contributing to public memory in spite of it’s struggle with what appropriate

remembrance is to different people both locally and globally.