The Perpetual Fund created and managed by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation currently includes 23 countries. The total financial declarations amount to ca. €100 million of which almost €47 million has already been contributed to the Foundation. The Foundation had its fifth session at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister in Warsaw. During the meeting two new members of the Council were appointed: Henryk Wujec and Wojciech Soczewica.
The Council Members approved the subject report for actions of the Foundation in 2012, as well as the annual financial statement and plan. The Council Members were also presented with the results of an internal audit for 2012 carried out by the KPMG company, which again had no objections to the financial statements provided by the Foundation.
In the last year, the Foundation gave almost PLN 1.7 million for the renovation of the Museum that comes from the profit of the Perpetual Fund. This year the amount already reached PLN 2.1 million. The donations for 2013 are estimated at ca. PLN 4 million, and the estimation for 2014 is even PLN 7 million. The money is allotted currently to preparation and research for restoration needed for tasks accompanying the preservation of historical stone barracks on the BI section of the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp.
“In 2012 we have finished the first stage of research of biological corrosion in the buildings. We are planning now to focus on a way to remove all separated factors unfavorable for the status of the stone barracks. There were also preparation works for drawing proper maps, which will be used in the near future to create a broad-based programme of restoration works. Many barracks have been temporarily secured construction-wise until the works start,” said the Vice-president of the Foundation Management Board and the Deputy Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Rafał Pióro. “In 2014, we plan to finish the research on construction of the buildings, as well as preservation of metal, wood, multiple paint layers, and mineral materials, and steel concrete. In the nearest future, we will start preparation works for other structures of the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp,” he added.
During the meeting Jacek Kastelaniec, the General Director of the Foundation, gave a summary on fund-raising actions for the Perpetual Fund. “It is vital to stress the decision of the Swiss Confederation to increase its contribution to €1 million. We are currently striving to negotiate larger contributions on the part of countries which have already supported the Fund,” said Jacek Kastelaniec, the General Director of the Foundation. “It is also important to mention that the ‘Friends of Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation’ has been registered in the United States of America, which should help acquiring funds from the private benefactors,” said Kastelaniec.
The Foundation Council has also decided to appoint two new members, who were accepted earlier by the Board of the International Auschwitz Council. The new members are: Henryk Wujec, an opposition activist in the years of the People's Republic of Polan, currently the social adviser to the President, and the member of the International Auschwitz Council; and Wojciech Soczewica, an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in years 2005-2008, an employee of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister in years 2008-2011, and currently the International Company Centre in the Ombudsman's Office. The Council has also appointed five new members of the International Committee from Israel, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Belgium.