Auschwitz, a former concentration camp in Oświęcim is a must for every visitor in Poland, that’s for sure. What is also clear is that the history of that place needs to be known by the whole world. That’s why the travelling Auschwitz exhibition has been created. It will visit 14 cities around the world: 7 in North America and 7 in Europe! It’s a huge project as it has a very important message to tell.
It doesn’t matter how big is the distance between your country and Oswiecim. What happened there, concerns all humankind, with no exception.
It’s also a groundbreaking history lesson for the young generation. Essentially for those, who cannot travel to Poland.
Original objects of the Holocaust from Auschwitz
Visitors will have an opportunity to see:
- over 700 original objects,
- 400 photographs from over 20 institutions and museums around the world,
- 20 thematic galleries.
The rich collection of artefacts attracts, amazes, shocks and deeply touches its visitors. Exhibitions include personal items such as shoes, eyeglasses or suitcases (some of them still signed by original owners). Not only those of prisoners but also of Nazi officers. Original family photographs, toys, diaries, musical instruments, memoirs, posters – you can find all of this in New York today! It doesn’t matter how far your America is from Oświęcim. All these objects constitute an important memorial of the terrifying Holocaust.
The exhibition is very comprehensive. It displays fragments of an original barrack for prisoners as well as “Juden raus” – history’s most infamous board game.
There’s even an original German-made freight wagon. It was used for Jews’s deportation to the ghettos, extermination camps in occupied Poland and the gas chambers.
VE Day
The exhibition will be opened on a very symbolic day. The 8th of May is the anniversary of the official end of World War II (known as VE Day). It’s not only a celebration of Nazi Germany’s surrender, but also a commemoration of all Holocaust victims.
Additionally, it will host several public and educational programs. They will feature world-famous experts on the Holocaust. That’s why it’s a great opportunity for schools to organize valuable trips.
North America is already the next stop for the exhibition, right after Spain. Its success at Madrid’s Arte Canal Exhibition Centre resulted in the double extension! It has been visited by over 600,000 visitors. For this reason, it became one of the most visited museums in Europe. Will the Museum in New York owe a success to the Auschwitz exhibition as well? Only time will tell!