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International Auschwitz Council about the Museum’s new exhibition

The scenario of the new main exhibition at the Auschwitz Memorial Site was the main topic of the meeting of the International Auschwitz Council. Two-day meeting in Auschwitz on 17-18 June was chaired by Professor Władysław Bartoszewski. During the Council also staff awards ceremony was held at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum.

In his report on the last six months, director of the Museum, Dr Piotr M. A. Cywiński, said about a record number of attendance at the Memorial Site in 2012, highlighting on one hand the increasing number of visitors from abroad, and on the other hand a noticeable drop in attendance among groups from Poland which is due to the program changes in the history teaching in Poland. Piotr Cywiński also mentioned the new national exhibitions opened at the Museum — Russian exhibition and exhibition in Block 27 entitled "Shoah" prepared by the Yad Vashem Institute, as well as the planned national exhibitions. The director’s report referred to the educational activities of the Museum and the new and upcoming releases.;

Among the major works carried out at the Museum site director mentioned, among others, a coming to an end the maintenance of blocks 2 and 3 at the former camp of Auschwitz I, the modernisation of storage of historical objects, including in particular a storage of valises, as well as protecting and conservation studies of brick barracks at the former camp of Auschwitz II-Birkenau. He also presented the status of the construction of a new Visitors Service Centre and the creation of offices of the International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust. The director also mentioned the budget of the Museum and a huge problem, which for the Memorial Site is the limitation of payroll fund imposed by the Budget-Related Act. ;

One of the most important subjects discussed by members of the IAC was the new main exhibition at the Auschwitz Memorial Site. - The purpose of our new exhibition will be an explanation of the authentic memorial site. Thanks to it, the Museum visitors will be able to understand the historical space of the camp - said director Piotr M. A. Cywiński.

— The exhibition will be divided into three parts. The first one will show the perpetrators, the camp as an institution, and institutional conversion of the concentration camp into the Holocaust centre. The second part will show the Holocaust as seen from the perspective of the victims, innocent people sent in the vast majority to death in the gas chambers. Private objects brought to the camp by the Jews sent to death will also be shown. The third part will focus on concentration camp prisoners and showing planned by the Germans dehumanization of people – added director Cywiński.;

The complete scenario and preliminary schedule of works and cost estimate for creating the exhibition and maintenance of the camp buildings, in which the new exhibition will be presented have already been sent to the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. ;

— The implementation of this ambitious plan will undoubtedly require the involvement of not only public funds at the disposal of the Ministry of Culture. This is a project for many years, which requires the involvement of tens of millions of Polish zlotys. Therefore, one must think of the so-called financial engineering and finding funds for this exhibition — perhaps from the EU funds? — said Małgorzata Omilanowska, Deputy Minister of Culture and National Heritage. - This concept is certainly worth implementing. It is the high time that the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum has the new exhibition - modern, fit for the 21st century. Especially that excellent modern national exhibitions are being created and in this context the main exhibition should be content-wise and formally leading. It should be a prime example of the story of Auschwitz, which in a summary, compact, but also very clear educational way that would tell the story — she added.;

During the meeting, the Council dealt with the situation at other memorial sites: conditions and future of the extermination camp of Kulmhof (Chełmno on the Ner River), the former camp of Gross-Rosen, as well as the later stages of the project to create a new memorial site at the former extermination camp in Sobibór. The IAC members also visited the new exhibition "Shoah" opened on 13 June in block 27 at the Memorial Site.;

On the first day of the IAC meeting there was a special celebration held. The staff members of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum were awarded state orders, medals and diplomas of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The Secretary of the International Auschwitz Council Marek Zając was also awarded.

Resolution of the IAC of 18 June 2013 on the limitation of the payroll fund in the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum

The International Auschwitz Council at the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland is highly concerned about the legislative difficulties that prevent the efficient use of funds from non-budgetary sources by the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Limitation of payroll and supplementary payroll fund regardless of the provenance of a payer is in particular unreasonable. Budget-Related Act in its current form prevents the broad use of multiple sources of funding such as private, community and corporate funds from around the world. In the near future these provisions will cause complete paralysis of the institutions and cancellation of key projects. The situation that has lasted for several years is compromising and may become an international scandal.

The situation is so paradoxical that in efforts of sourcing the funds Polish diplomacy is successfully involved. Therefore, the Council urgently asks the Prime Minister to release the payroll fund limits of the part of the remuneration that comes from non-budgetary sources. The Council expects that specific measures will be proposed in the Budget Act (or equivalent) in 2014.

Two-day meeting in...

Two-day meeting in...

Two-day meeting in...

The IAC members...

The IAC members...

The staff members...