MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL IN SOBIBÓR WITH A SPECIAL COMMENDATION IN THE EMYA 2024 CONTEST
Museum and Memorial in Sobibór
The jury have recognised implementing the personal stories in the museum narrative, which remain in the visitors’ memory and commemorate thousands of victims that were murdered at the Sobibór death camp. As we can read in the justification:
“Using personal belongings found in situ proves an especially effective curatorial strategy to restore the victims’ identity and humanity.”
The Museum and Memorial in Sobibór was fully opened to the public on 13 October 2023. It is dedicated to the 180,000 Jewish women, children, and men that were murdered in the German Nazi extermination camp in the years 1942–1943. It secures the places connected with the camp’s functioning, documents its history, sustains the memory of the victims deported to Sobibór from all over the German-occupied Europe.
The European Museum of the Year Award is a prestigious prize granted to museums by the European Museum Forum since 1977. Its goal is to distinguish the most valuable events within the museum sector and to promote innovations in museums. EMF is an independent NGO, which follows the mission to promote innovation in museums and fostering the exchange of experiences and good practices between the European museum network. EMF operates under the auspices of the Council of Europe and implements numerous projects within the broader cultural domain.
Museum and Memorial in Sobibór received a special commendation in the European Museum of the Year Award 2024 (EMYA) prestigious contest. The award ceremony gala was held on 4 May in Portimao, Portugal. 50 European museum were nominated including 5 candidates from Poland.