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"On Auschwitz" - Auschwitz Memorial podcast series

"On Auschwitz" is the title of the Auschwitz Memorial podcast series.  The first episodes are now available at www.auschwitz.org/podcasts. The podcasts are available in English and Polish. <

‘The history of Auschwitz is extremely complex. It combined two functions: a concentration camp and an extermination centre. Nazi Germany persecuted various groups of people there, and the camp complex was constantly expanded and transformed. In "On Auschwitz" we will discuss not only the details of the camp's history but also the various facets of our contemporary remembrance of this important and unique site,’ said Agnieszka Juskowiak-Sawicka, podcast project coordinator and head of E-learning at the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust.

The first podcast is devoted to the origins of the German Nazi Auschwitz camp. Dr. Piotr Setkiewicz, head of the Museum's Research Centre, talks about the details of the decision-making process that led to the camp's creation and who the first prisoners were.

The subject of the second episode is medicine in Auschwitz, which Teresa Wontor-Cichy discusses. The SS doctors were mainly involved in the extermination operations in the camp; they conducted selections among the sick prisoners in the camp infirmaries as well as the Jews brought to KL Auschwitz for extermination. They were also present at executions and signed thousands of death certificates for prisoners with fictitious causes of death. Some also carried out criminal experiments.

The third podcast is devoted to contemporary literature that addresses the history of Auschwitz. Authors of many currently published books place the plot in camp realities, with very different results. Wanda Witek-Malicka talks about whether it is worth reaching for these books and how to distinguish between valuable and less valuable literature.

‘Podcasts will appear periodically. In addition to discussions on the camp's history featuring historians from the Museum Research Centre, the broadcasts will also cover various topics related to the contemporary form of Auschwitz memory,’ added Agnieszka Juskowiak-Sawicka.

The "On Auschwitz" podcasts are available on several streaming sites, including Spotify, Google Podcast and Breaker.