Exhibitions
Exhibitions
The most important tasks of the Exhibition Department include initiating, preparing, realizing, organizing, and maintaining the permanent and temporary exhibitions that are presented on the Museum grounds and elsewhere, in Poland and in other countries.
During the more than 75 years of its existence, the Museum has organized over 300 temporary and traveling exhibitions, which have been viewed by more than 15 million people. Outside of Poland, these exhibitions have been shown in Austria, China, the former Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, the USA, and the former USSR.
The permanent exhibitions presented at the Museum have been and continue to be the priority task of the Department. They include the main exhibition in the original camp buildings at the Auschwitz I site, the expositions that explain and commemorate the grounds and buildings at the Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II sites, the exposition in the Sauna, and the so-called “national exhibitions.”
THE NATURE OF THE NATIONAL EXHIBITIONS
The so-called national exhibitions involve cooperation with the designers and organizers outside Poland. This begins during the preparatory stages for a new exhibition, and covers both organizational and factual matters. The cooperation continues during the building and opening of the exhibition, and while it is open to visitors.
See descriptions of all national exhibitions.
THE TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS
In addition to the permanent exhibitions at the Museum, temporary exhibitions are very important in informing the world about Auschwitz. Department staff are responsible for the concept and scenario in most cases, making use of the Museum collections and archives. We also organize the presentation of exhibitions loaned from other institutions in Poland or abroad.
TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS
We are also active outside the Museum, through traveling exhibitions, which make history accessible to those who, for various reasons, cannot visit the Museum personally, or who never encountered the subject previously.
