News
Museum Preservation Experts Rescue a Priceless Manuscript
Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum preservation experts have made a contribution to the observances marking 150 years of schooling in Brzeszcze, Poland—a few kilometers from the Auschwitz site. The professional restoration—in the modern laboratory at the Museum—and publishing of the chronicles of the Brzeszcze school, covering the years 1890-1947, was a highlight of the anniversary.
“We worked on this book for almost three months,” said Museum preservationist Mirosław Maciaszczyk. “Usually, we try to apply a single, safe, effective method to the whole object. The school chronicle, however, was in very bad shape and written with the use of several different technologies, none of which was resistant to water. Therefore, we could not apply a simple cleansing water bath. This was more complicated. We had to deal with each part of the chronicle separately, and we also had to treat the attached material, such as posters and documents, separately.”
“We also removed adhesive tape, traces of glue, and all the dirt and stains,” said Maciaszczyk. We lowered the acidity of the paper and replaced the damaged parts of the cover. This involved a lot of effort, but we are satisfied. People can now leaf through the chronicle at will. I hope that our work will be useful to the people of Brzeszcze.”
Nel Jastrzębowska and Ewelina Bisaga also worked on the restoration.
The restored chronicle was presented at the ceremony that closed the 150th anniversary observances. Violetta Chechelska, principal of Stanisław Staszica Elementary School No. 1 in Brzeszcze, said that the chronicle is one of the oldest documents in the community, and a rich source of life about the cultural, public, religious, and political life of Brzeszcze in the late-19th and 20th centuries.
