News

May 23, Bielsko-Biała (PAP-Polish Press Agency) – The historically original inscription reading "Arbeit macht frei" returned to its place over the main gate of the Auschwitz I-Main Camp on Tuesday morning. A copy had been in place since January. Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum head preservation officer Rafał Pióro told PAP that the original was reinstalled in time for the visit by Pope Benedict XVI.

In connection with Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau site on May 28, 2006:On May 27, 2006, visitors to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum are requested to leave the grounds before 3:00 PM, after which time the Museum will be closed to visitors. We apologize for any inconvenience.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Oświęcim has won first prize in the Sybilla 2005 Museum Event of the Year contest. The 26th annual awards ceremony took place on May 18, International Museum Day, at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage organizes the contest and undersecretary of state Tomasz Merta presented the awards.

May 17, Bielsko-Biała (PAP-Polish Press Agency) – The Auschwitz-Birkenau State museum has purchased 24 sets of music used by the Auschwitz prisoner orchestra from a Polish collector. Collections department head Igor Bartosik said on Wednesday that the items will probably be included in a future Museum exhibition.

On May 5, the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum played host to 51 residents of the village of Skierbieszów and the vicinity. They and their families were members of the local branch of the Polish Union of Former Nazi Penitentiary and Concentration Camp prisoners.

May 7 Oświęcim (PAP – Polish Press Agency) – Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt was at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum on Sunday for the opening of an updated permanent exhibition dedicated to the fate of Belgian citizens, mostly Jews, who were deported to the camp. He was accompanied by Kazimierz Ujazdowski, the Polish Minister of Culture. The guests paid homage to the victims of Auschwitz and placed a wreath at the Death Wall in the courtyard of Block no. 11, known as the "Death Block.".