News
On 23 October, a ceremony was held at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage in Warsaw to transfer historical documents related, among other subjects, to the Second World War, the Holocaust, and German Nazi concentration camps. The documents were secured by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation through international cooperation following the cancellation of a controversial auction in Germany in November last year.
A collection of documents relating to the history of the Auschwitz, including prisoner correspondence from different periods of its operation, was transferred to the Museum Archives. Among the oldest materials is a document sent on 17 December 1940 by Jan Sworzeń, prisoner no. 56, who was deported to Auschwitz in the first transport of Polish political prisoners on 14 June 1940. It is a printed notice to his family concerning the rules for sending Christmas parcels. Jan Sworzeń died in the camp on 6 January 1943.
The collection also includes an extensive handwritten manuscript by Arthur Liebehenschel, commandant of Auschwitz in 1943–44. The document was created in 1947 during his imprisonment in Poland, in connection with preparations for his trial before the Supreme National Tribunal. The notes, bearing his handwritten signature, constitute an important source for research into the functioning of the camp and the responsibility of its perpetrators.
Other materials connected with the history of Auschwitz include prisoners’ letters, family correspondence, documents concerning the sending of parcels and money, as well as death notifications. Particularly important are those sources that reveal the individual fates of people whose stories have often survived only in fragments within camp documentation.
“Behind every document lies the tragedy of a particular person, sometimes of a group of people. Each of these stories forms part of the greatest tragedy in the history of Europe. We cannot allow the fates of individual people to remain outside the historical, archival and scholarly legacy, to end up in collectors’ drawers, private storage spaces or amateur files. When that happens, from the perspective of the Shoah as a whole and the history of the camps, the actual presence of a particular Victim disappears,” emphasized Dr Piotr M. A. Cywiński, Director of the Auschwitz Museum.
The event in Warsaw was attended by Minister of Culture and National Heritage Marta Cienkowska; Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Relations and Media of North Rhine-Westphalia; Wojciech Soczewica, Director General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation; as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps, museums, archives and memorial institutions.
“Documents are becoming increasingly important witnesses to history, and it is on them that we must base a responsible policy of remembrance. A policy that protects authentic sources, ensures the conditions for independent research, and allows us to understand the past in all its complexity,” said Minister of Culture and National Heritage Marta Cienkowska.
“Behind every document stands a human being. Someone who had a family, someone who had plans and dreams, someone who loved, who longed for others, who feared for those closest to them. Someone whose normal life was taken away by the war, and often their future as well,” she added.
“At a time when disinformation and the manipulation of facts are becoming an increasingly serious threat, including to the memory of the Second World War, the Holocaust and the crimes of totalitarian regimes, our response must be strong institutions of remembrance, professional archives, the digitization of collections, historical education and international cooperation,” Minister Cienkowska said.
“We cannot rely every time solely on public protests, the goodwill of donors and extraordinary rescue efforts. That is why today I am appealing to all individuals and institutions in possession of camp documents, prisoners’ correspondence, testimonies of life in the ghettos, or personal belongings of victims of persecution: entrust them to museums, archives and memorial sites. Give historians the opportunity to study them, and future generations the opportunity to learn the stories preserved within them,” she emphasized.
In addition to the Auschwitz Museum, recipients of the documents included the State Museum at Majdanek, the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo, the Gross-Rosen Museum in Rogoźnica, the Treblinka Museum, the Pawiak Prison Museum, the Museum of the Martyrdom of Greater Poland – Fort VII, the Warsaw Ghetto Museum, the Katyn Museum in Warsaw and the Central Museum of Prisoners of War. Documents were also transferred to the Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute and the State Archive in Łódź.
The scope of the initiative extends beyond Poland. Recipients also included the Holocaust Memorial Center in Budapest, as well as the embassies of the Czech Republic, Denmark, Lithuania and the Netherlands in Poland. The materials concern, among other subjects, the history of the Theresienstadt ghetto, the Westerbork and Amersfoort camps, the persecution of Jews in Hungary, and the occupation of Lithuanian territories.
Some Auschwitz-related documents were transferred to other institutions. The Central Museum of Prisoners of War received, among other items, a card sent in November 1943 from Oflag XVII A to a Polish internee in Switzerland. In it, the sender asked for help for a woman imprisoned in Auschwitz II-Birkenau, providing her prisoner number and the camp address.
Other transferred materials document, among other things, everyday life in ghettos, the fate of families separated by persecution and forced labour, and attempts to maintain contact with relatives. The Jewish Historical Institute received, among other items, a collection of 85 postcards belonging to the Markowicz family from Wieruszów. Their correspondence from 1941–1943 documents the fate of family members sent to various forced-labour camps. The State Archive in Łódź, in turn, received documents relating to deportations from the Łódź ghetto and the functioning of its administration.
The ceremony in Warsaw marked the symbolic conclusion of a process that began in November last year, when more than 600 original documents from concentration camps, ghettos and other sites connected with German crimes during the Second World War were due to be auctioned by an auction house in Neuss, Germany. They included prisoners’ letters and postcards, administrative documents and personal testimonies of persecution. International protests led to the cancellation of the auction.
Thanks to cooperation between the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, the authorities of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, German memorial institutions and private donors, more than 600 historical documents were secured. The first 433 of them were entrusted to the Foundation during a ceremony at the Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia on 30 January 2026. Some of the collections had already been transferred earlier to memorial institutions in Germany.
The operation to secure the archival materials, halt the auction and carry out the fundraising effort would not have been possible without the personal involvement of partners from North Rhine-Westphalia, who supported the Foundation pro bono. Particular thanks and recognition are due to Matthias Schreiber of the Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia, Ekkehardt Thiesler, Chairman of KD-Bank, and notary Klaus Oertel. Their professional advice, expert knowledge and organizational support at every stage were invaluable to the success of this sensitive mission.
“When news emerged last year that an auction house near Düsseldorf intended to put hundreds of objects connected with the Holocaust up for auction, it provoked widespread outrage. That outrage was heard particularly strongly in Poland, here, where the German perpetrators committed most of their crimes. And rightly so, because it is difficult to accept that mementos of Holocaust victims, letters from concentration camps, or yellow stars should now become objects of trade and collectors’ items. History is not a commodity. History is a responsibility we carry,” said Minister Nathanael Liminski.
The preservation of these documents was made possible through the involvement of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. As Wojciech Soczewica, Director General of the Foundation, emphasized, the decision to begin purchasing documents from the private market was not an easy one, as the Foundation had not previously engaged in such activity.
“The Foundation’s actions had a universal dimension, because they concerned the protection of heritage connected with many memorial sites across Europe. At the same time, it was important for us to secure documents showing the fate of Polish victims, both those imprisoned in camps and those murdered in the East. We are pleased that we were able to ensure that these priceless testimonies would be transferred to Polish state institutions and serve future generations,” Wojciech Soczewica said.
An important element of the entire process was also the establishment of cooperation with the Yad Ezer L’Haver association in Haifa. When some of the documents reached Israel after the auction was cancelled, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation began efforts to recover these authentic testimonies of crime.
“This success was achieved thanks to the support of partners in Israel and Germany, private individuals who, in coordination with the Foundation, took the initiative and helped build crucial bridges of dialogue. As a result of these efforts, the Yad Ezer L’Haver association transferred three valuable objects to the Foundation free of charge: the manuscript of commandant Arthur Liebehenschel and correspondence concerning the Katyn crime. This gesture became the beginning of close cooperation aimed at protecting the heritage of Nazi and Soviet crimes. We are grateful to the association for this meaningful gesture,” Soczewica emphasized.
In June, the Foundation launched the international fundraising campaign “Camp Mail – Purchase of Documents”, aimed at raising funds to rescue further documents. By mid-October, approximately EUR 140,000 had been raised.
Purchased and secured documents are transferred free of charge to the appropriate memorial institutions, where they can undergo professional conservation and scholarly study, be made available to researchers, and be used for educational purposes.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation’s efforts are also intended to draw attention to the broader problem of trading in authentic evidence of Nazi crimes and the risk of such materials becoming dispersed in private collections.
On 15 October, the 16th meeting of the International Committee of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation was held at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister in Warsaw. The meeting brought together representatives of countries supporting the Foundation’s efforts to preserve the Auschwitz Memorial. It was chaired by Marek Zając, Chairman of the Foundation Council. New Committee members representing Montenegro and North Macedonia took part in the meeting for the first time.
On behalf of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the participants were welcomed by Grzegorz Karpiński, Deputy Head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. “The Foundation is a unique example on a global scale of international solidarity in the field of protecting historical heritage. We meet united around a shared goal: preserving the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and counteracting antisemitism and all forms of intolerance. The Committee’s activity is not limited to its meetings, but represents an ongoing commitment to ensure that memory remains a source of strength and an inspiration for respect and tolerance,” he said.
Opening the meeting, Marek Zając emphasized the importance of preserving the authentic remains of Auschwitz for future generations. “We live in very difficult times, and many things are changing for the worse. That is why the lessons of Auschwitz and the Holocaust are needed today more than they were ten or twenty years ago.”
“The most important capital of any foundation is trust and transparency. This is precisely why these meetings are so important to us. We want to present our reports, but we also want to answer all your questions,” Marek Zając added.
Dr Piotr M. A. Cywiński, President of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation and Director of the Auschwitz Museum, drew attention to the growing importance of historical memory in the face of contemporary crises and uncertainty.
“We do not know what will happen in three or six months. Changes are taking place very rapidly. This is precisely where the special role of memory becomes apparent. For me, memory is closely connected with human experience. When we do not know where we are heading, we turn to our experiences in order to better understand the situation and the possible paths of action. Our aim is to help people find that understanding. That is why we must protect and preserve the authenticity of Auschwitz,” Piotr Cywiński emphasized.
Wojciech Soczewica, Director General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, presented a report on the Foundation’s activities and the most important projects carried out in the recent period. He spoke about the continued expansion of the international coalition of donors. Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia have joined the group of countries supporting the Foundation, while Cyprus, Ireland, Portugal and Spain have increased their existing financial commitments.
One of the topics discussed was the Foundation’s additional work to protect authentic historical documents. In November 2025, an auction of more than 600 documents originating from concentration camps, ghettos and other sites of German Nazi crimes was planned in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. A significant part of the collection consisted of letters and postcards written by prisoners, many of them from Auschwitz.
Although the auction was cancelled, some of the materials remained on the private market. Through cooperation with the authorities of North Rhine-Westphalia, German memorial institutions and private donors, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation became involved in securing more than 600 historical documents so that they could be transferred to the appropriate archives and museums.
“It was a difficult decision, because the Foundation had not previously been involved in purchasing documents from the private market. We concluded, however, that these testimonies of human suffering and the fates of specific individuals should be preserved and made accessible in memorial institutions, rather than ending up in private collections. We have no doubt that this was the right course of action,” Wojciech Soczewica emphasized.
Some of the documents have already been transferred to memorial institutions during a ceremony in Düsseldorf. Several hundred more are expected to be delivered to Polish institutions in the coming days, including the Auschwitz Museum and archives holding materials related, among others, to the ghettos in Łódź and Warsaw, as well as KL Stutthof and KL Lublin.
The Foundation also launched a special fundraising campaign to rescue historical documents, raising around EUR 140,000. These funds are intended to secure further testimonies and transfer them free of charge to memorial institutions. Wojciech Soczewica also pointed to the need for a discussion at the European level on the rules governing the trade in documents connected with Nazi crimes.
Another major project supported by the Foundation is the permanent exhibition of art by prisoners and Auschwitz Survivors currently being prepared by the Museum. It will be created in the historic former camp kitchen building at Auschwitz I. The project will make it possible to present an exceptional collection of works that constitute personal testimonies of camp experiences and their memory. The estimated cost of the project is around USD 24 million. Approximately USD 13 million has been secured so far. Donors include, among others, the Jusidman Family Foundation. The Foundation continues its fundraising campaign for this purpose.
Wojciech Soczewica also presented the development of educational activities supported by the Foundation, in particular the “Auschwitz. In Front of Your Eyes” platform, which makes it possible to visit the Memorial online, live with a guide.
An important part of the meeting was the presentation of the Foundation’s financial situation. Chief Financial Officer Elwir Świętochowski reported that in 2025 investment income from the Endowment Fund exceeded PLN 20 million. During the same period, the Foundation transferred PLN 23.4 million for the implementation of the Global Preservation Plan at the Auschwitz Memorial.
Łukasz Rozdeiczer-Kryszkowski, Vice-President of the Foundation, presented the results of an independent financial audit carried out by KPMG. The auditor raised no reservations regarding the 2025 financial statements, confirming that they fairly presented the Foundation’s financial position and complied with applicable regulations. He also thanked the companies and institutions that have supported the Foundation for years with their expertise, services and commitment, including KPMG, Rymarz Zdort Maruta, PZU, BNP Paribas, Orange and Google.
Rafał Pióro, Deputy Director of the Auschwitz Museum responsible for preservation, and Agnieszka Tanistra-Różanowska, who heads the Global Preservation Plan, discussed the implementation of the programme.
In 2025, 14 preservation projects were completed, while 11 are underway in 2026. Comprehensive safeguarding work continues at the ruins of the gas chambers and crematoria at the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp, including measures designed to protect surviving structural fragments from soil pressure and the progressive degradation of materials. Preservation work is also continuing on historic barracks in sector BI of the former Birkenau camp. Work was recently completed in the oldest camp washroom, which is now accessible to visitors. Work on two further buildings, a residential barrack and a sanitary barrack, is expected to be completed soon.
Museum conservators are also working on historic wall paintings and inscriptions preserved in buildings of the former camp, as well as on objects from the Collections. Particular importance is attached to documenting all interventions, including through the use of multispectral photography, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology. These tools make it possible to monitor the condition of historic structures in detail and to plan future work.
Museum representatives emphasized that international support makes it possible to carry out a long-term, systematic preservation programme whose aim is not only to safeguard the authentic remains of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz, but also to preserve them and make them accessible to future generations.
In the context of the approaching 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Auschwitz Museum in 2027, Director Piotr Cywiński also recalled the particular responsibility to preserve the legacy left by former prisoners, on whose initiative the Memorial was created.
“We are living at a time when the last witnesses of history are passing away. We must do everything we can to ensure that their message remains alive. This is one of the most important tasks of the Memorial, the Foundation and all of us. Thank you for your presence and for the international solidarity that unites us around shared values,” the Museum Director said.
Montenegro is the 44th country to support the Perpetual Capital of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. This endowment fund makes it possible to preserve the authenticity of the remains of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz.
Montenegro's support will amount to €22,300.00 and is part of a total contribution of one million euros from the countries of the former Yugoslavia. The agreement to this effect was signed on June 9, 2026, at the Embassy of Montenegro in Warsaw.
"Preserving the authenticity of Auschwitz is not a task for a single nation or institution – it is our shared responsibility for the difficult memory we carry as an international community. The gesture made by Montenegro and the other countries in the region proves that solidarity in the face of history is the underpinning upon which we build a secure, European future," emphasized Wojciech Soczewica, Director General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
Ambassador Veljko Milonjić expressed his satisfaction with the signing of the agreement. He emphasized that the concluded agreement represents an important step toward strengthening cooperation and building lasting relations between Montenegro and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
The objective of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation includes funding the Master Plan for Preservation – a long-term program aimed at securing all remaining camp vestiges. The overriding value guiding these efforts is the maximum preservation of the authenticity and clarity of the former camp's space for future generations.
Since 2012, the Foundation has already transferred over 172 million PLN to the Museum for conservation work, including 24 million PLN in 2025. The total value of the Foundation's Perpetual Capital stands at over 754 million PLN.
On 13 May, Members of Parliament from North Macedonia took part in an online tour of the Auschwitz Memorial via the “Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes” platform. The event was organized together with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
“The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation is proud to partner with the Parliament of North Macedonia to bring the authentic site of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp to the screens of lawmakers. In an era where historical distortion and antisemitism are on the rise, political leaders have a unique responsibility to lead by example,” said Wojciech Soczewica, Director-General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
Rashela Mizrahi, a Member of the Parliament of North Macedonia, said that remembrance is not only about honouring the past—it is a moral obligation to the future: „The role of parliamentarians and parliaments is essential in this effort. As the houses of the people, they bear a responsibility not only to legislate, but to protect historical truth, to safeguard memory, and to ensure that distortion and denial never find space to take root. Through education, open dialogue, and principled leadership, they must stand firmly against indifference and revisionism.”
“To remember is to stand against silence. To protect the truth is to defend our shared human values. This responsibility belongs to all of us—but especially to those entrusted to lead, to preserve, and to ensure that such darkness is never allowed to rise again,“ she emphasized.
The online visit allows participants to see both parts of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp: Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, from anywhere in the world.
The guide’s narration is delivered live, with the possibility of interaction. In addition, the educator uses multimedia materials, archival photographs, works of art, and testimonies of Survivors.
“The virtual tour is not merely a technological feat; it is a bridge to the truth for those who shape the laws and values of our societies. We call upon national parliaments worldwide to join this initiative, utilizing this tool to fortify their commitment to 'Never Again' and to ensure that the lessons of the Shoah remain at the heart of modern democratic leadership," emphasized Wojciech Soczewica.
The special platform “Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes,” dedicated to the Memorial, was developed through cooperation between the Museum, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, and the companies AppsFlyer and DISKIN.
The online visit is designed for groups such as schools, universities, educational institutions, museums, and companies. A group can participate together, using a single screen in a larger room, or individually, with each participant using their own device. Visits can be booked via the website visit.auschwitz.org.
All institutions wishing to arrange online visits for a larger number of groups on different dates are asked to contact the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation individually at: education@fab.org.pl.
Professor Jürgen Rüttgers, a member of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation Council, was honored with the "Light of Remembrance" award – the highest distinction of the Auschwitz Museum. The award was presented to him on April 29 in Düsseldorf by Auschwitz Museum Director Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywiński. A particularly significant aspect of the laureate's public service is his commitment to preserving the authenticity of the Auschwitz Memorial.
As Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, and also after retiring from politics, Jürgen Rüttgers was among those politicians who supported the commitment of both the German federal government and the German federal states to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, whose goal is to finance long-term preservation work and protect all authentic remains of the Auschwitz camp.
"The establishment of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, and thus the entire process of preserving authenticity, would have been impossible without the personal involvement of Professor Jürgen Rüttgers from the very beginning of this project." "He understood perfectly how important it is to engage with authenticity in the education of future generations, especially those who did not experience the atrocities of World War II and the Holocaust, nor could witness the enormous post-war effort of building a common Europe," said Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywinski, director of the Auschwitz Museum.
Jürgen Rüttgers's crucial role was primarily in reinforcing the belief that the authenticity of all remnants of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz must be secured by a stable, international support system.
Jürgen Rüttgers was born in Cologne in 1951. He studied law and history. From 1987, he was a member of the Bundestag, where he focused primarily on science, technology, and education policy.
From 1994 to 1998, he headed the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Technology, and from 2005 to 2010, he served as Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia. After retiring from active political life, he remained active in public life as a lawyer, academic, and member and collaborator of institutions dealing with historical memory, international dialogue, and German-Polish and German-Israeli relations.
The "Light of Remembrance" is an award established and awarded by the director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum for outstanding contributions to education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust. It honors individuals dedicated to preserving and transmitting the memory of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz.
To date, this award has been presented to Professor Władysław Bartoszewski, Krystyna Oleksy, Avner Shalev, Serge Klarsfeld, Luis Ferreiro, Romani Rose, Piotr Setkiewicz, and Michael Berenbaum.
