News

Poland's prime minister has appealed to leaders of EU countries for help raising euro 120 million (about $150 million) for badly needed preservation work at the sprawling former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced the government will donate euro 1 million ($1.3 million) for Auschwitz restoration work.

The government has asked the European Union for help in maintaining the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. €120 million is needed for conserving the time-ravaged buildings. In a special letter to the leaders of EU states, Donald Tusk is asking for special funding for the Museum. The reactions are favorable.

”Artistic creativity of Auschwitz prisoners” is the topic of a one-day educational seminar, which took place February 28th at the State Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Two Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum projects have received grants under the “Infrastructure and Environment” European Operational Program. Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bogdan Zdrojewski announced the grant awards on February 4.

The International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust has prepared a Polish-English folder covering its activities. The folder is available in printed and digital versions. Divided into thematic chapters, the guide recounts the founding of the Center, its educational work, and information on volunteer programs and educational publications. There is also a detailed list of the Center's educational offerings for teachers, educators, and secondary-school and university-level students interested in enhancing their knowledge of the history of Auschwitz and the Holocaust.

“Anti-Semitism — old and new prejudices” — is the title of a new handbook for teachers, created by the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in cooperation with Polish experts from the Center of the Polish-German Association in Cracow and the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust.