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38th session of the International Auschwitz Council
The 38th session of the International Auschwitz Council convened at the Polish History Museum in Warsaw on 4 December. Dr. Grzegorz Berendt presided over the session. Jarosław Sellin, the Deputy Minister of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, was also in attendance.
The Minister emphasised the significance of dialogue and international collaboration in fostering Polish-Jewish relations and outlined the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage's 8-year dedication, highlighting the growing investment in institutions focused on the remembrance of Polish Jews. He spoke about support for the conservation of Jewish cemeteries, as well as ongoing and completed memorial and exhibition projects at the memorial sites of the former Treblinka, Płaszów and Sobibór camps.
'I trust that the successive Polish government teams will apply such an ambitious programme and methods to commemorate the history of Polish Jews and preserve the memorials, particularly those related to the Holocaust. Without divisions, we know it is crucial for the Polish state, international relations and, most importantly, for remembrance and the fostering of Polish-Jewish relations,' said Minister Sellin.
Auschwitz Museum Director Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywiński presented a comprehensive overview of the key initiatives undertaken at the Auschwitz Memorial since the previous IAC meeting, along with the Museum's forthcoming plans. He began his presentation with an analysis of attendance.
'It is expected that almost 1.7 million people will have visited the Memorial this year. This is also crucial for maintaining the financial stability of the Museum, as a substantial portion of its budget relies on visitor numbers,' he said.
Notable mentions by the director included the international educational conference "Tools from «here and now» in teaching about «then» - new technologies in education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust", the anniversary of the deportation of the first transport of Poles to Auschwitz on 14 June with the showcasing of previously unknown photographs of this historical moment, and the inauguration of the Museum's new Visitors Services Center.
Furthermore, Director Cywiński elaborated on the difficulties of providing education through social media platforms. He also emphasised the numerous educational initiatives carried out in cooperation with international partners, underscoring the significance of the current headquarters of the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust.
'We are increasingly resuming full educational activities in the ICEAH building, completed just before the pandemic but remained unused for 2 years. Presently, the groups are returning, Survivors are engaging in meetings, and multiple workshops are being conducted simultaneously in separate rooms. This demonstrates that educational spaces play a crucial role in places like museums, which serve as sites of remembrance. The proportion between educational and exhibition spaces needs a slightly different consideration than in the case of conventional museums, where the main educational space is the exhibition itself,' said Piotr Cywiński.
Some of the notable upcoming plans and challenges mentioned by the director included the development of an online platform for guided tours of the Memorial “Auschwitz. In Front of Your Eyes", the creation of a new main exhibition and a new Polish exhibition at the Museum, that can be constructed thanks to completed tenders, and the intention to establish a camp art exhibition in the camp kitchen building at the Auschwitz I site, with an estimated cost of USD 20-22 million.
'This exhibition will bring closure to a certain quandary associated with authenticity. We have safeguarded the originality of the historical site and objects, relying on the veracity of the recorded accounts and complemented by the authenticity of the non-verbal message - the drawings and paintings. Our vast art collection has been predominantly utilised as illustrations for books. It will possess an entirely distinct carrying capacity when we will be able to showcase it separately,' emphasised the director.
Piotr Cywiński also discussed the unveiling of a modern microbiological laboratory at the conservation studios.
He concluded his presentation by sharing insights on the forthcoming 80th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz.
The IAC session also included information on ongoing work at Treblinka, the former German extermination camp, with a particular focus on the Black Road area and archaeological research.
Following the deliberations, the Council members proceeded to explore the inaugural temporary exhibition of the Polish History Museum "Big and small stories. Building the collection of the Museum of Polish History" which opened in September 2023.
At the end of the day, the IAC members visited the exhibition "Around Us A Sea of Fire" at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. The exhibition presents the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising from the perspective of civilians.
