News
To Save the Memorial from Flood Waters
Intense efforts has been made to protect the site of the former Nazi German Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp against flooding.
The water from nearby swollen Vistula River that flooded last night reached to within a few hundred meters of the western boundary of the site, threatening both the site of the Memorial and surrounding villages.
Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum staff members joined firefighters and local residents in placing thousands of sandbags along the top of the flood barrier to reinforce it against high waters. The situation has been stabilized and the water level near the barrier is getting lower.
In contrast, the situation around the Auschwitz I site has improved. The level of the Soła River has fallen over the last day and no longer represents an immediate threat to this part of the Memorial. Historical objects and archival records remain in upstairs rooms in the original camp buildings, where they were carried as a safety measure as soon as the flood alarm sounded.
The Auschwitz memorial will be partially opened for visitors from May 20. The former Auschwitz I camp will be available for visitors. Until the flood situation stabilizes, the access to the former Birkenau camp will be limited to the area around the main gate and the so-called ramp. Some parts of the Birkenau site will remain off-limits to visitors for a longer period. The Museum website will carry updated information on the situation at the Memorial.
