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International Auschwitz Council on Education Centre

Problems with the seat of the International Centre of Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust at the Auschwitz Museum were the main subject of the meeting of the International Auschwitz Council. The XXV meeting, which was held in Warsaw on 2 October, was presided over by prof. Władysław Bartoszewski. Also present was the Vice Minister of Culture and National Heritage, prof. Małgorzata Omilanowska.

At the beginning, all those present observed a minute of silence for the prof. Izrael Gutman, a survivor of the Holocaust, participant in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, historian, chief historian at the Yad Vashem Institute and a long-time member as well as Vice President of the International Auschwitz Council, who passed away on 1 October.

The activities of the Auschwitz Memorial Site that have been taking place since the last meeting of the Council were summarised in a report by the director of the Museum, Dr Piotr MA Cywiński. The most important subject raised by him was extremely difficult situation of the seat of the International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust.

We must recall that the Centre was established upon the decision of the Polish government in 2005 during the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz, in the presence of 40 heads of state and heads of government, former prisoners and the eyes of Polish and world public opinion. Since then, efforts have been made to create a permanent seat for the ICEAH in the historic building of the so-called Old Theatre, which is located in the immediate vicinity of Auschwitz I.

Adaptation of the building could have begun many years ago. In 2007, commencement of the revitalisation project was hindered by the absence of an approved local spatial management plan for the location of the Holocaust Memorial. It was only in 2009, thanks to the efforts of the Museum employees, that the investment received the status of public purpose, which allowed for the commencement of work. Members of the International Auschwitz Council appealed to the Government of the Republic of Poland for the Museum to be given the necessary financial support. The appeal was reiterated in 2011.

In 2012, a donor was found who was ready to finance up to 3/4 of the cost of the investment. Then the Museum submitted to the Voivode of Małopolska a request for transfer of the building and area around the Old Theatre. Due to different interpretations of regulations on a statutory level relating to issues of ownership, this was not possible. Attempts to come to an agreement on this point of the law lasted over a year; there were also talks aimed at maintaining the sponsor’s interest. Even though a legal compromise was found and the building of the Old Theatre was finally transferred over to the Museum, the donor, on account of the prolonged procedures, decided to withdraw from supporting the project.

“Before is the 70th anniversary of liberation. Nearly 10 years ago, the Polish state adopted certain obligations. In the meantime, throughout the whole of Europe, a number of very different institutions and educational programmes have been created. In situations such as this, the Museum cannot be an equal partner on this ground. Therefore, the only real possible solution is public support for this project. At the moment, the International Centre of Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust as an institution, in the form and size that we planned, does not really exist,” said director Cywiński.

Coucil members at the meeting unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the Prime Minister to immediately set up a special long-term government programme designed to establish the seat of the International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust within the building of the Old Theatre. The works should commence before the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

In his report, Cywiński also spoke about attendance at the Auschwitz Memorial Site and visible decrease in the number of visitors from Poland for some period, which is related primarily to changes in the curriculum of history in Polish schools, concluding with the comprehensive restoration work on blocks 2 and 3 at the former camp of Auschwitz I, the on-going work at Auschwitz II-Birkenau, where research related to the best method of maintenance of the brick barracks is under investigation at the moment, as well as reconstruction and development plans recently collected by the Museum for the building known as the so-called little potato storages. The director also referred the talks with the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, the effect of which will be the return of a fragment of the wooden barracks of Auschwitz II-Birkenau loaned to the United States more than 20 years ago. He also talked about new publications, exhibitions and educational projects.

During the Council meeting, there were also discussions on the situation within the areas of the former German Nazi death camps in Kulmhof (Chełmno nad Nerem), Treblinka and Sobibór.