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To rescue the Memorial for future generations. Museum Report 2009
“Never before in the history of the Auschwitz Memorial have we been so close to guaranteeing the rescue of all the extant remains of the largest concentration camp and extermination center. Never before has Memory been so close to responsibility”—one reads in the new report of the Auschwitz Memorial. The 70 color pages of the bilingual report contain information on the most important events of 2009.
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Establishment and work of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, creation of the Master Plan for Preservation, the project of the new main exhibition, new publications and direction of historical researches—these are some of the topics described in the report.
Much place was dedicated to the mission of preservation of the authentic site and remains after the former German Nazi Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp. „Each year, there are fewer eyewitnesses among us who remember the hell of Auschwitz. We remain aware of a history that is increasingly difficult to convey to new generations. And so we are left with the authenticity of the Memorial. Today, this authenticity must bear witness and speak to us so that, in the background, we can almost hear the voices of those who have fallen silent”—wrote in the introduction to the Report director of the Auschwitz Museum Dr. Piotr M.A. Cywiński.
In his opinion caring of this Place is not exclusively an obligation to past generations, to the victims and the survivors. „To a large degree, it is also an obligation towards the generations to come. It is they who must carry on our postwar efforts to build a better world that is more communitarian, understanding, characterized by solidarity, and secure. It is our grandchildren who will build the future of our civilization. We owe them the truth about Auschwitz”—wrote director Cywiński.
In the report one can read about preparation of the new main exhibition of the Museum. Last year the draft was accepted by the International Auschwitz Council. One will also find there information about the attendance to the Memorial. In 2009 1,3 million people visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum.
As every year an important element of the report is the financial report and a list of the benefactors who supported the Museum. The report also contains detailed information on preservation work, the activities of the specific Museum departments, research, volunteers, films shot at the Museum, the programs and seminars conducted by the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust. The texts are accompanied by photographs presenting the contemporary view of the Memorial as well as reproductions of art works, artifacts and archive documents.
