Workshops
Interactive classes, conducted by the educators of the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust, that supplement the visit to the former German Nazi Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp or the virtual study visit (link to the E-study visits).
Each workshop is based on the active work of participants with eyewitness testimonies, photographs or documents, complemented by historical texts. It aims at encouraging a deeper reflection on different aspects of the camp reality and, above all, the people who found themselves in this reality, on the individual dimension of the tragedy of Auschwitz, which encompasses the emotions and inner dilemmas of the people incarcerated in the camp.
Each workshop includes such elements as an introduction to the topic, work in groups based on selected materials, a presentation of the results and a concluding discussion led by the educator.
The workshops are intended for school youth and adults.
Duration of workshops: 1,5 h
Cost: PLN 365 in languages other than Polish
Contact:
Visitor Services
Marta Ortman, Barbara Gębołyś-Warmbier, Katarzyna Bisaga
e-mail:
tel. (+48) 33 844 8096 or (+48) 33 844 8101
Workshops recommended for youth aged 14 and older
Understanding Auschwitz – Preparation for the Visit to the Memorial
The workshop is aimed at discussing the basic notions and events that appear in the guided tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial. It consists of two activities: an exercise with notions, in which the participants discuss the definitions, and an exercise based on historical context, in which the group arranges events from the time of WWII, the Holocaust and the functioning of the Auschwitz camp on a timeline. The exercises are based on active methods of teaching, which allow the participants to gain knowledge through their own activity. The workshop is especially recommended for youth aged 14-16.
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site
History Captured in Artifacts
The aim of this workshop is to teach about the history of the former German Nazi Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp by analyzing chosen artifacts that once belonged to people deported to the camp. Participants will have a chance to see photographs of the Museum’s unique collection. Every item chosen for this lesson is connected to the fate of a person and serves as a catalyst for the discussion about the camp reality and individual experiences. The selected materials concern such topics as the Holocaust and persecution of Jews in the Third Reich and on the occupied territories, as well as different aspects of the history of Auschwitz, including the fate of women and children, the persecution of members of the resistance, or the fates of the members of Sonderkommando.
Language: Polish, English, German, French, Spanish, Czech, Ukrainian
Form: on site, online
„I’m Healthy and I Feel Good” – Camp Correspondence
The workshop is aimed at discussing the correspondence kept up by Auschwitz prisoners, especially the legal way. While analyzing the source materials, i. e. letters sent and received by the prisoners, as well as short historical texts, the participants of this workshop will learn what the correspondence looked like, who had the right to send and receive letters, and what were the rules. Talking about the censorship that was imposed in the camp, the participants will learn that, although this correspondence was often the only way for the prisoners to stay in touch with their nearest and dearest, its function in the camp was primarily that of propaganda.
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site, online
An Individual in the Face of the Camp Reality
The participants together with the educator reflect on the meaning of such notions as morality, courage, solidarity, hunger, loneliness, and humiliation in the camp reality. The discussion is based on the witness testimonies and the information learned during the guided tour. The individual experience of prisoners is a starting point for the discussion about the influence of the camp reality on the behavior of incarcerated people, drawing the participants’ attention to the fact that individual camp experience should be viewed in a wider context.
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site, online
Polish citizens in KL Auschwitz
The workshop is based on the analysis of the biographies of six young people: Zofia Łyś, Rutka Laskier, Bogdan Bartnikowski, Marian Turski, Czesław Kempisty, and Edward Paczkowski, who were Polish citizens and belonged to different social groups in pre-war Poland. The workshop points to the differentiation of the national and religious background of Polish prisoners, allowing the participants to learn the reasons for the deportation of Poles to Auschwitz. It also touches upon numerous aspects of the camp reality. The workshop gives the opportunity to listen to the message of former Auschwitz prisoners for next generations. The selected materials concern such topics as the fate of women and children, the persecution of members of the resistance, the Holocaust and persecution of Polish Jews, the persecution of Polish Roma, forced resettlement of civilian population and pacification, memory about Auschwitz and remembrance of the victims of the camp.
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site, online
The Fate of Children at KL Auschwitz
The workshop aims at drawing attention to the difference between the fate of children and that of adult prisoners in concentration camps. During the workshop, the participants work in groups and develop an exhibition, relying on a variety of sources, such as archival photographs, documents, excerpts from witnesses’ memoirs, or works of art. This task allow them to strengthen their ability to build a narrative based on the sources available. The next element of the lesson is the presentation of the results of the groups’ work and the curator-guided tour of the exhibition for the fellow participants.
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site
Escapes from KL Auschwitz
The workshop starts with a short introduction by the educator about the location of the Auschwitz camp, its security system and the procedure that was followed in case of a prisoner’s escape. In the following part of the lesson, the participants work in groups and analyze the history of several selected escapes in order to learn about their motives, course and consequences for the escapees and their fellow inmates. Afterwards, the participants present the results of their group work and discuss the moral dilemmas that accompanied the escapees under the guidance of the educator.
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site, online
Sport at KL Auschwitz
The aim of this workshop is to reflect on the phenomenon of sport and physical activity in the conditions of camp reality. In the course of the workshop, the participants have the opportunity to think about the meaning of the word “sport” in Auschwitz and the impact it had on the everyday life of the prisoners in the camp. Through work with primary sources, such as artwork, photographs, and prisoners’ memoirs, the participants examine the ambivalence of the concept of sport in the camp, both as an instrument of torture and humiliation of those imprisoned by their tormentors and a factor that gave a few a chance to stay alive.
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site, online
Workshops recommended for youth aged 16 and older
The Fate of Women at KL Auschwitz
The workshop on women prisoners in Auschwitz aims to draw attention to the difference in their fate from that of male prisoners, taking into account biological and psychological aspects. During the workshop, the participants work in groups, analyze the fate of women and develop an exhibition on the basis of available source materials, such as archival photographs, documents, fragments of written and video testimonies, works of art. The final stage of the work, which is also the conclusion of the workshop, is the creation of a joint image/portrait of a woman prisoner at Auschwitz.
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site
The Auschwitz SS Garrison
This workshop concerns the camp personnel and aims at presenting their diversity, motives for taking up their work, attitudes towards prisoners, and postwar fates. During the workshop, the participants get acquainted with the biographies of selected members of each personnel group, such as commandants, workers of the camp directorate and the political department, doctors, and female guards. Working in small groups, the participants analyze the life stories of selected members of the camp personnel that belonged to particular groups and create the image of the group, which they will present to the whole class in the second part of the workshop. The main objective of the workshop is to encourage the participants to reflect upon the issue of individual responsibility for the crimes perpetrated in concentration camps.
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site, online
The (Un)concerned. The Help of the Inhabitants of Oświęcim and its Surroundings for the Prisoners of KL Auschwitz
The workshop provides the opportunity to draw the attention of the participants to the group of over 1000 people living in the vicinity of the former Auschwitz camp, who risked their lives and the lives of their closest ones to help Auschwitz prisoners as the camp was still in operation. This help, taking place in secret, often as part of underground activities, had different forms, such as providing food, medicine, bandages, warm clothes, help in passing on secret correspondence or even organizing secret meetings with families. Help was also provided to camp escapees.
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site, online
Trauma – the Postwar Life of Former Prisoners
The moment of liberation was a turning point for prisoners, when they had to face both the consequences of their own camp experience and the reality of the postwar world. During the workshop, the participants get to know the stories of people who survived the camp and spoke about their camp trauma, its impact on their private and professional lives as well as their ways of dealing with the challenges of life after the liberation. The selected materials concern such topics as the Holocaust and persecution of Jews in the Third Reich and on the occupied territories as well as different aspects of the history of Auschwitz, including the fate of women and children, the persecution of Sinti and Roma, the fates of the members of Sonderkommando, or camp escapes.
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site, online
„They Survived in Order to Live” – the World After Auschwitz
During the workshop, the participants learn more about individual stories of Auschwitz survivors who, despite their camp syndrome and life challenges, engaged in building a better world. The discussion concerning their life choices and attempts to overcome the camp syndrome provides a deeper insight in the impact of Auschwitz and the Holocaust on the postwar world and the role of an individual in global processes. The selected materials concern such topics as the fate of women and children, the Holocaust and persecution of Jews in the Third Reich and on the occupied territories, the persecution of members of the resistance, forced resettlement of civilian population, camp escapes, postwar trials, memory about Auschwitz and remembrance of the victims of the camp.
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site, online
"Thou Shalt Not Be Indifferent!" – the Messages of Auschwitz Survivors
The workshop provides room for reflection on the meaning of the history Auschwitz in contemporary world. The participants will have the opportunity to hear the testimonies of survivors and discuss their messages for future generations. During the second part of the workshop, the participants will consider whether these messages are still relevant and how they themselves can engage in the activities that improve the world around them. The selected materials concern such topics as the fate of women and children, the Holocaust and persecution of Jews in the Third Reich and on the occupied territories, memory and remembrance.
Language: Polish, English, German.
Form: on site, online.
The Eleventh Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Be Indifferent – Summary of the Visit to the Memorial
During the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Marian Turski quoted Roman Kent (also an Auschwitz survivor) about the necessity of introducing one more – the eleventh – commandment: “Thou shalt not be indifferent”. The main objective of the workshop is to search for the answer to the question: what lesson does Auschwitz teach postwar generations? Can we relate the experiences of the past to the contemporary world and the inequality we are confronted with? This lesson is intended as room for reflection on these questions. Auschwitz and its history constitute the starting point for this reflection, owing to which the concrete historical knowledge becomes the basis for inspiring the participants to reflect and draw conclusions that can be applied with the aim of understanding certain phenomena that take place today (for example, conscious reflection on current issues related to human rights and inequality).
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site
Do not be indifferent! - the message of the Auschwitz witnesses
The workshop is a moment of reflection on the meaning of the history of Auschwitz in the contemporary world. Participants will have the opportunity to read the statements of former Auschwitz prisoners and discuss their messages for future generations. During the second part of the workshop, young people will reflect on the relevance of these messages and the possibilities for their own involvement in activities to improve the world around them.
Languages: Polish, English, German
The Extermination of the Sinti and Roma – Workshop at the Roma exhibition
The workshop takes place at the national exhibition in Block 13. During the lesson, the participants work under the direction of an educator and learn to carry out research in the exhibition and to present its results to the fellow participants. The lesson encompasses three main subject areas: the persecution of the Sinti and Roma in the Third Reich in the 1930s, including racial ideology, marginalisation in the society, and removal of civil rights; the extermination of the Sinti and Roma in occupied Europe; the Roma family camp at KL Auschwitz – the so-called “Zigeunerlager”.
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site
People Deported from France to Auschwitz – Workshop at the French exhibition
The workshop takes place at the national exhibition in Block 20 and focuses on the fates of people persecuted on the territory of France during WWII and the Holocaust, with emphasis laid on the fates of people deported to KL Auschwitz. Under the lead of an educator, the participants of the workshop search for information in the exhibition and learn more about the history of France during WWII as well as the people persecuted by the Nazis. The selected materials concern such topics as the Holocaust and the persecution of Jews in Vichy France and the German military occupation zone, the persecution of civilian population and members of the Resistance, the fates of women and children, memory and remembrance.
Language: Polish, English, French
Form: on site
Far Removed. Austria and Auschwitz – Workshop at the Austrian exhibition
The workshop at the national exhibition in Block 17 is aimed at shedding light on the complex history of Austria in the Nazi time. On the one hand, the group learn about the role of Austrians as perpetrators at Auschwitz. On the other hand, the participants focus on the stories of Austrians persecuted as political opponents, Jews and Sinti and Roma. The exhibition concerns such topics as the Anschluss, the Holocaust, the persecution of Jews, Sinti and Roma in Austria, the persecution of civilians and members of the resistance, perpetrators, memory and remembrance.
Language: Polish, English, German
Form: on site
Persecution and Deportation of Jews in the Netherlands, 1940-1945 – Workshop at the Dutch exhibition
The workshop at the national exhibition in Block 21 focuses on the fates of people persecuted in the Netherlands during WWII and the Holocaust, with emphasis laid on the fates of people deported to KL Auschwitz. The workshop allows the participants to discover individual stories and gain the general historical knowledge on the topic, based on the work with the exhibition under the lead of an educator. The individual stories chosen for the workshop represent a small variety of fates and experience at the time. The exhibition concerns the topics of the persecution of Jews, Sinti and Roma and other groups, resistance movement, deportations, memory and remembrance.
Language: Polish, English, Dutch
Form: on site
The Citizen Betrayed – to the Memory of the Hungarian Holocaust – Workshop at the Hungarian exhibition
The workshop at the national exhibition in Block 18 examines the situation of Jewish people living in Hungary during the WWII and the Holocaust. Carrying out research at the exhibition under the guidance of an educator, the participants learn more about Hungary’s wartime history as well as the lives of people affected by the persecution of the Nazi Germans and their collaborators. The exhibition concerns such topics as the introduction of anti-Jewish laws in Hungary, labour service, the German occupation, ghettos and transports, persecution of Hungarian Roma, the Arrow Cross Party policy, saving Jews through diplomatic means and the Jewish resistance movement.
Language: Polish, English (the texts in the exhibition are also available in Hungarian)
Form: on site
Auschwitz Prisoners from the Czech Lands – Workshop at the Czech national exhibition
The workshop at the national exhibition in Block 16 focuses on the fates of people persecuted in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia during WWII and the Holocaust, with emphasis laid on the fates of people deported to KL Auschwitz. Carrying out research at the exhibition under the guidance of an educator, the participants will learn the history of Czechoslovakia during the war as well as the stories of people targeted by Nazi persecution. The exhibition concerns the topics of the Holocaust, the Theresienstadt ghetto, the persecution of Jews as well as Sinti and Roma in the Protectorate, the persecution of civilians and members of the resistance.
Language: Polish, English, Czech
Form: on site
Questions About the Shoah – Summary Workshop at the Reflection Centre in Block 27
The visit to the Auschwitz Memorial often leaves the question of how it was possible. The mechanism of the Holocaust was influenced by a number of factors. During the workshop, the participants have the opportunity to listen to the voices of Holocaust Survivors as well as experts from different fields of knowledge, who try to answer difficult questions about the Shoah. Their reflections serve as a starting point for a discussion about the causes and consequences of the Holocaust.
Language: Polish, English (the recordings are also available in Hebrew)
Form: on site
„A Piece of the World Surrounded by Barbed Wire…” The Fate of Polish Citizens in KL Auschwitz
The workshop take place at the temporary exhibition in Block 21, the motto of which are the words of Auschwitz Survivor Tadeusz Borowski, "A piece of the world surrounded by barbed wire...." The exhibition is devoted to the fate of Polish citizens deported to Auschwitz and will be presented until the completion of the new national exhibition, which is being created in Block 15. The workshop will allow the participants to learn about the reasons for the deportation of approximately 450,000 citizens of the Second Polish Republic to KL Auschwitz. Selected materials refer to such issues as: the persecution of members of the resistance movement, the persecution of Polish Jews as well as deportations from the ghettos of the Dąbrowa Basin and from the Litzmannstadt ghetto, the displacement of civilians from the Zamość region and the Warsaw Uprising, as well as the fate of women and children.
Language: Polish, English
Form: on site
Belgium 1940-1944. Occupation and Deportation to KL Auschwitz - workshop at the Belgian exhibition
The purpose of this workshop is to guide students through the history and remembrance of the Holocaust in Belgium as well as the occupation of the country by Nazi Germany during World War II. Students will learn about such aspects of this time period: resistance to the occupation; collaboration with the occupation; legal marginalization of persecuted groups; the fate of Jewish and Romani people in Belgium. The workshop will contextualize these histories and offer the group the possibility to reflect on the role of the exhibition in their experience of visiting Auschwitz more broadly. Students should complete this workshop with a better understanding of the history of Belgium during World War II.
Language: Polish, English, German, French
Form: on site
