On November 28, that is exactly 80 years after the destruction, residents of Oświęcim and guests from around the world, including Holocaust survivors and their descendants, gathered at a special ceremony to inaugurate the Great Synagogue Memorial Park. This grassroots project came to life thanks to the involvement of many people and institutions, including the Town of Oświęcim, and the local residents.
In the park you will be able to rest on the benches with symbolic perforations depicting the signs of the zodiac - a reflection of the ornamentation from the Great Synagogue. The history of the temple will be presented through the installation with its historical photos and a 3D model of the building. The park contains 40 stone slabs arranged in a free composition, whose irregular arrangement symbolize the ruins. In addition the synagogue perimeter is marked and a copy of the synagogue chandelier is hanging over the site, added Tomasz Kuncewicz.
The park, designed by Kraków architects from the NArchitekTURA Design Studio and Imaginga Studio, will contain over 20 species of various shrubs and flowers. In addition to the already growing, decades-old trees, completely new plants will appear in it. These will include different types of ivy and ferns, but also sed, miscanthus, fescue gautier and others.
Our goal was to remember it by creating a site that will be meaningful for residents and the increasing number of tourists coming to Oświęcim in conjunction with their visit of the Auschwitz Memorial - said Tomasz Kuncewicz.
Fot Pitr Srychalski