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1,3 million people from all around the world have visited the Auschwitz Memorial in 2009. This is the record in the 62-year history of the Museum. It’s very important that the majority of visitors are young people—pupils and students. There were over 821 thousand of them—that is 120 thousand more than in 2008. Auschwitz Memorial have been the most visited Museum in Poland for a number of years.

On the platform of the railroad spur built inside the Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp in the spring of 1944, German SS doctors carried out the selection of the thousands of Jews who arrived each day in boxcars. Previously, trains stopped at the socalled Altejudenrampe located at the old freight station between the two camps. Since 2005, two original train cars at the old ramp, or unloading platform, have served as reminders of the tragedy of deportation. In October, a historical German freight car was placed at the ramp in Birkenau. You can read a short article about that event in Oś, and our cover shows what that place now looks like.

On behalf of the employees of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Polish police for their thorough investigation which ended in the recovery of the “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign. The importance of this recovery is significant, as it is one of the most important symbols of the tragedy of World War II, not to mention the suffering of those who met their end here.

Police have reported that the "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign which was stolen from the entrance gate of the former Auschwitz I concentration camp was found. It was cut in three pieces.

On Friday night unknown culprits have stolen the historic sign with the infamous phrase “Arbeit macht frei” which was hung over the gate of the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz I. For information which will help to find the stolen sign "Arbeit macht frei" the Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum with approval of Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bogdan Zdrojewski promises a reward of 100,000 zlotys (around $34,000). Anyone having any important information is asked to contact the Police in Poland immediately.

Germany has contributed €60 million to the Perpetual Fund of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. This is half of the total that, according to current estimates, the Foundation must amass in order to finance in its entirety the Master Conservation Plan for the Auschwitz former Nazi German concentration and death camp.