barracks in the area of the former women’s camp have already undergone preservation work or are currently being treated. Another stage of work to secure the ruins of the gas chambers and crematoria in Birkenau has also been completed, including the installation of new support structures for surviving fragments of reinforced-concrete ceilings. Work is also underway on historic buildings at Auschwitz I, including the roof of the former main guardhouse.
Among the next investments, the Director mentioned the planned reconstruction of the historic former potato storage building near Birkenau, co-financed by the European Union. The building will retain its historic external form, while its interior will house storage facilities, workshops and support spaces for conservation staff. This will make it possible to relocate part of the technical infrastructure from the grounds of the former camp to a suitably adapted building. At the end of his report, Director Cywiński spoke about the forthcoming presentation of the exhibition Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away. at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. The exhibition, prepared by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum in cooperation with the Spanish company Musealia, will be presented at the American museum from the beginning of 2027, during the period in which its permanent exhibition is being changed.
“For me, this is a truly important and quite moving moment. The fact that our exhibition will be there and will serve our friends in Washington is a testimony to the closeness of our cooperation,” Piotr Cywiński emphasized.
Following the discussion, the International Auschwitz Council adopted a resolution confirming the conclusion of its position from September 2001, according to which the watercolors created in the camp by Dina Gottliebová-Babbitt are the property of the Auschwitz Museum and should remain in its Collections. The Council also discussed educational activities connected with the exhibition The Extermination of the European Roma in Block 13 on the grounds of the former Auschwitz I camp. The debate resulted in the unanimous adoption of a resolution emphasizing the importance of education about the genocide of the Roma and Sinti.
Members of the International Auschwitz Council were also presented with the concept for the new permanent exhibition of the Treblinka Museum, prepared by a team from the Jewish Historical Institute, as well as information on the progress of work on its implementation. The main assumptions of the exhibition were outlined. It is intended to tell the story primarily through the fates of its victims and the testimonies of Survivors. It will also include a space for the presentation of sculptures by Treblinka Survivor Samuel Willenberg.
The discussion addressed, among other issues, the historical narrative, the relationship between the exhibition and the authentic Memorial Site, as well as the schedule for further work and cooperation among the institutions involved in the project.
Minister of Culture and National Heritage Marta Cienkowska emphasized her readiness to continue supporting its implementation. “I would like to warmly congratulate the Jewish Historical Institute, because the exhibition project looks very impressive. It seems to me that the proposed exhibition, the way it is to be constructed, and the way the narrative is to be developed are definitely appropriate for this place. I would like to declare our full cooperation and full support. It is very important to us that the permanent exhibition be completed as quickly as possible.”
Council Secretary Marek Zając drew attention to the need to overcome difficulties in cooperation among the institutions involved in the project. He also recalled the words of Ada Willenberg, who expressed the hope that she would live to see the new commemoration and exhibition in Treblinka.
“We are dealing with a very serious impasse concerning Treblinka. This is the moment to begin truly constructive work and dialogue. If we do not reach an agreement that respects the dignity of the victims, historical truth, and the other values important to us, everyone will lose,” Marek Zając stressed.
Before the meeting, members of the International Auschwitz Council visited the construction site of the Warsaw Ghetto Museum. In the evening, they attended a gala at the National Philharmonic in tribute to the Righteous Among the Nations, during which medals awarded by Yad Vashem to people who rescued Jews during the German occupation were also presented.
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