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42nd session of the International Auschwitz Council

On 18 and 19 November, the 42nd Session of the International Auschwitz Council, chaired by Prof. Dariusz Stola, was held at the Auschwitz Memorial. Council members were able to visit the nearly completed first of three parts of the New Main Exhibition, which will soon be made available to Museum visitors.

The session was attended, among others, by Deputy Minister of Culture and National Heritage of Poland Marek Krawczyk, who read a letter addressed to the Council members from Minister Marta Cienkowska.

“After more than half a century, we are beginning the transformation of the Main Exhibition at the Auschwitz Memorial. This is an event of immense significance, not only for history, but also for our contemporary sensitivity and sense of responsibility. […] The new exhibition, financed entirely by the Polish state, is an expression of our country’s and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage’s responsibility to ensure stable conditions for creating this exceptional exhibition in a place of global importance,” wrote Minister Marta Cienkowska.

“I want to stress unambiguously: Auschwitz must not become an arena for political dispute, neither in Poland nor anywhere else. This is a Memorial whose protection and dignity are paramount. We expect all states, communities, and media to respect this principle,” the letter states.

“The daily work of the staff of the Auschwitz Memorial is not merely a profession. It is a mission. It requires exceptional knowledge, professionalism, as well as ethical and moral maturity. I express my deep gratitude to all Museum employees for their efforts, thanks to which the truth of Auschwitz is passed on to future generations faithfully, respectfully, and with dignity,” wrote the Minister.

During the session of the International Auschwitz Council, Deputy Minister Marek Krawczyk awarded the Chairman of the Council, Prof. Dariusz Stola, the Silver Medal “Gloria Artis for Merit to Culture.”

He also presented Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywiński, Director of the Auschwitz Museum, with his nomination for another term in office. He will lead the Museum and Memorial through the end of 2030.

Director Cywiński, summarising developments of the last six months, noted that Museum attendance is gradually returning to pre-pandemic levels, and this year will reach around two million visitors.

Among the many events of recent months, he referred not only to major anniversaries, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the 85th anniversary of the deportation of the first Poles to KL Auschwitz, and the 81st anniversary of the liquidation of the Roma and Sinti family camp, but also to the international educational conference “Remember. Is Memory Enough in the 21st Century?”

“This is a methodological conference we hold every two years for those responsible for organising education in various countries, museums, and memorial sites. Increasingly, these meetings are filled with cultural and civilizational questions. These reflections reveal profound concerns. We no longer live in a post-war era, and that shapes the work of memory,” said Director Cywiński.

Reflecting on the 80th anniversary of the liberation, he also spoke of emerging concepts for future commemorations of 27 January. Following discussion, the Council unanimously adopted a resolution stating: “The International Auschwitz Council supports the concept that, following the example of the 80th anniversary of liberation, the program of the commemorations on 27 January should not include political speeches, but should focus on the voices of the Victims and Survivors of Auschwitz.”

During the session, Director Cywiński and Tomasz Sygut, Director General of The Polish Television, signed an agreement concerning the production of the television signal for the commemoration event of the upcoming anniversaries of liberation and the accompanying international studio for the years 2026–2030.

In his report, Director Cywiński also highlighted the Museum’s digital educational activities, including the highly popular podcast “On Auschwitz,” now available not only in Polish and English but also in PJM and SJM sign languages.

He noted that the Museum now has nearly 3 million followers across its social-media platforms, although these spaces are increasingly challenging for the Museum’s mission: “Polarisation and vulgarisation are constantly increasing. We feel that certain boundaries in online discussion continue to shift in the wrong direction. However, we remain active in this space, because we see the need to do so. We are also intensifying our presence on YouTube through short films about the history of Auschwitz.”

A new online tool has also been launched: stopdenial.auschwitz.org, designed to help users understand the strategies of contemporary Holocaust deniers, especially those active on social media, and to provide ready-to-use arguments prepared by historians.

Discussing the Museum’s exhibition work, Director Cywiński referred to the opening of the new permanent exhibition on Poles deported to KL Auschwitz, the travelling exhibition “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.” recently opened in Cincinnati’s Union Terminal, and the temporary exhibition of contemporary art “Prussian Blue” by Yishai Jusidman, available at the Auschwitz I site.

“We have also begun work on an exhibition of camp art, focusing on the theme of dehumanisation. This will be another major project. One part will take visitors through different levels of dehumanisation, and another will be a space for rotating displays of original works. In this way, we hope to preserve part of the testimony contained in the most difficult questions posed to Survivors: ‘What did it feel like to be in the camp?’ Art allows us to convey those emotions. The paintings and drawings will not be mere illustrations — they will be part of the narrative about the human being,” he said.

A new project, implemented in collaboration with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, is aimed at contemporary filmmakers. "Picture from Auschwitz" is a pioneering initiative that includes a faithful, full-scale digital replica of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp, available to filmmakers. Details can be found at film.auschwitz.org.

He also spoke about preservation works being carried out by the Museum, especially on the brick buildings and the ruins of the gas chambers and crematoria of Auschwitz II-Birkenau, funded by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. Very soon, visitors will be able to enter the conserved building of one of the oldest bathhouses in Auschwitz II-Birkenau, which also contained a disinfection gas chamber.

The Council also adopted a resolution expressing support for the 2002 “Survivors' Declaration,” available here online, and expressed support for the Museum’s ongoing appeal to social-media platforms, particularly Facebook, to amend their policies to prevent the publication and spread of AI-generated fake images, videos, and content related to the history of Auschwitz and the Holocaust.

The Council additionally discussed progress on the new Museum building at the site of the former German extermination centre in Treblinka, which will house a historical exhibition and a space for displaying sculptures by Treblinka Survivor Samuel Willenberg.

Before the main session, Council members visited, prior to its official opening, the first completed section of the New Main Exhibition, devoted to the camp experience of Auschwitz prisoners.

“This is a deeply emotional moment for us, as the exhibition has been in development for more than 12 years. It is also significant that the work began while the International Auschwitz Council still included Survivors so crucial in shaping post-war memory of Auschwitz: Prof. Władysław Bartoszewski, Marian Turski, and Israel Gutman. Their insight was invaluable,” said Director Cywiński.

“I would also like to thank the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Governments and ministers have changed several times, yet all have respected the decision to implement this exhibition, an undertaking of great cost, as the project also includes the conservation of six historical post-camp buildings,” he added.

The first part of the New Main Exhibition, devoted to the experience of Auschwitz prisoners, will be made available to visitors later this year.