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More than 200,000 students from over 10,000 Italian schools took part in a special, showcase online visit to the Auschwitz Memorial on 26 January. This was made possible thanks to the platform “Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes”.
The online visit is conducted live. While discussing the key aspects of the history of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz, the educator uses multimedia materials, archival photographs, works of art, documents, and testimonies of Survivors. Interaction with the guide and the opportunity to ask questions are also possible. All of this allows for a deeper understanding of history and its contexts, despite the lack of physical presence at the Memorial.
The development of the platform created for the Auschwitz Memorial is possible thanks to financial support from the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, drawn from funds outside the main endowment allocated to preservation works.
“This event, involving many thousands of Italian students, is a breakthrough moment that demonstrates the power of modern education in the service of Memory. This scale was an exceptional gesture of solidarity linked to the commemoration of the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and required special technological solutions. However, the essence of the ‘Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes' platform remains focused on direct dialogue, enabling work in groups of up to 20 to 30 people. Only in such an intimate setting does each participant have the chance to speak, ask the guide questions, and fully engage with this difficult lesson of history,” said Wojciech Soczewica, Director General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
“Trips to Auschwitz, which for years could only be taken by a small group of students, have now become a collective experience thanks to this technology. Today, this virtual tour has allowed us to reach approximately 200,000 students. I would like to thank the Italian Ministry of Education and Merit and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial for making it possible,” said Amedeo Spagnoletto, Director of the Museo Nazionale dell’Ebraismo Italiano e della Shoah in Ferrara.
The visit on 26 January had a showcase character. The video signal from the “Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes” platform was retransmitted via another application, as the system does not support such a large number of simultaneous connections. The special visit also included excerpts from testimonies given by three Italian Survivors of Auschwitz: Shlomo Venezia, Piero Terracina, and Settimia Spizzichino.
“I appeal to governments and institutions around the world to support this form of remote education in a systematic way. Thanks to the commitment of the Foundation’s donors, geographical and financial barriers are no longer an obstacle, but it is up to state decisions whether every student, regardless of where they live, will be given the chance to have this personal encounter with the history of Auschwitz. Memory is our shared responsibility, one that requires modern tools and courageous decisions to support educators,” emphasized Wojciech Soczewica.
In a video message directed to the students, Italian Minister of Education and Merit Giuseppe Valditara said: “One question moves me: How can we inhabit this place of remembrance? How can we be aware of it? It's not enough to travel and visit; we must be aware of it. The sounds, the signs, the paths of Auschwitz are important. For example, when I think of sounds, I think of what the deportees in the freight cars must have heard: the sounds of desperation. These 80 years have helped us to mature, they have made us realize that every human being has dignity, that every human being must never be labeled based on prejudice. This awareness is the greatest wealth these 80 years have given us. My true, sincere concern is that this awareness could be lost; it would be a second tragedy.”
“It is deeply moving for me to be here. Memory is responsibility. Today we share a European story. Our story,” said Noemi Di Segni, President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities.
The online visit is intended for groups such as schools, universities, educational institutions, museums, and companies. A group may participate together using one screen in a larger room or individually, with each participant using their own device. The recommended minimum age for participants is 15.
Schools, institutions, or companies wishing to book online visits for a larger number of groups on different dates are asked to contact the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation individually to arrange the details at: education@fab.org.pl.
433 historical documents scheduled for sale at an auction house in Neuss, Germany, in November last year, were entrusted to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. The official handover took place on 30 January at the seat of the parliament of the German federal state of North Rhine–Westphalia.
The documents relate to various crimes committed during the Second World War and the German occupation of Poland. They originate, among others, from ghettos and several concentration camps. The collection also includes camp correspondence. A significant part of the set concerns the Auschwitz camp.
“As soon as information about the auction surfaced, given the nature of the documents and their importance, we immediately began talks with the authorities of the federal state of North Rhine–Westphalia, as the auction house is located on its territory. The goal was not only to stop the auction, but also to safeguard the collection and find a way to transfer these exceptional material testimonies to where they belong,” said Wojciech Soczewica, Director General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
The discussions concerning the formal transfer of the documents lasted many weeks. “I am grateful that we found a solution that enables the transfer of this set of documents to the archives of the appropriate memorial institutions. Preserving memory in archives and museums protects the dignity of the victims and supports further research and education on the inhuman processes of Nazi persecution and extermination,” said André Kuper, President of the Parliament of North Rhine–Westphalia.
The President of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation and Director of the Auschwitz Museum, Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywiński, emphasized the great importance of the fact that the Foundation acquired the collection on a trust basis. “We will now give the documents to the thematically appropriate institutions and memorial sites, where they will be incorporated into archival holdings, conserved, and subjected to scholarly processing. Thanks to this, they will be used in educational work and made widely accessible,” he emphasized.
The transfer of the documents was made possible through cooperation among the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, the authorities of the federal state of North Rhine–Westphalia, long-standing institutional partners, and private donors. The collection was given to the Foundation three days after the commemoration of the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
In recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation is pleased to announce that it has received a voluntary contribution of $500,000 from the United States to support the creation of the Auschwitz Art Exhibit, allowing for the exhibition of 4,000 sketches, drawings, and paintings created by prisoners and survivors of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz. Most of these pieces have never been displayed.
This contribution reflects the United States’ longstanding commitment to Holocaust education, remembrance, dialogue, and research, as well as to combating antisemitism. It is intended to support and encourage further efforts to establish a permanent exhibition that honors the resilience and humanity of those who endured unimaginable suffering.
This contribution builds on previous U.S. support to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, totaling $18 million including, most recently, a $1 million contribution for the development of live online guided tours “Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes.”
Wojciech Soczewica, Director General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation said: “The Foundation is grateful for the United States’ unwavering support in our mission to preserve the site’s most fragile and unique visual testimonies — the drawings of those who suffered here. While this gift is a milestone for the Auschwitz Art Exhibit, the Foundation’s work requires the sustained partnership of the entire international community. As we face a global increase in Holocaust distortion, we call on our partners around the world to join the United States in prioritizing these efforts. Preserving this history is not a local task; it is a debt we all owe to the victims and survivors.”
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation thanks the United States for its commitment to promoting accurate Holocaust education, preserving Jewish heritage in Poland, and supporting educators in teaching this history with sensitivity and purpose.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation believes that, with this contribution, it will be better positioned to honor the victims, preserve the legacies of survivors, and recommit to combating hatred in all its forms. Together, we can ensure the lessons of the Holocaust guide us toward a safer and more secure future.
In 2026, fifty student groups from Baden-Württemberg will visit the Auschwitz Museum online through the platform "Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes". This is a result of a special agreement signed by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport of this German federal state and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
Baden-Württemberg is the first German federal state to approve such extensive use of the "Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes" platform, which enables live, guided online tours of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz.
"It is distressing how many young people know almost nothing about the Holocaust, this monstrous crime against humanity. Memory and understanding give our younger generations the ability to recognize emerging threats and oppose them. Together with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, which I thank for excellent cooperation, we will enable our schools to gain this powerful understanding through virtual visits to the Auschwitz Memorial Site," said Theresa Schopper, Minister of Culture of Baden-Württemberg.
The tours are conducted live. In addition, the educator uses multimedia materials, archival photographs, artworks, and documents, along with testimonies from Survivors. The application also allows interaction with the guide and the ability to ask questions. All this enables a deeper understanding of history and its contexts despite the lack of physical presence at the Memorial.
"This agreement aligns with the mission of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. Our primary goal, of course, is to protect the Memorial's authenticity by funding conservation work. We also strive to secure additional funding to support a wide range of educational activities. Baden-Württemberg, as the first federal state of Germany, has decided to provide systemic funding for modern historical education, ensuring that students have direct contact with education conducted from an authentic historical space," said Wojciech Soczewica, Director General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
In his opinion, cooperation with Baden-Württemberg has the character of a model project that may become a new standard in European education on Auschwitz and the Holocaust.
"This is only the beginning. We will encourage other German federal states and governments of other countries to undertake similar initiatives. Joint financing of access to knowledge about history conveyed directly from the preserved Memorial is a special investment in responsible education, designed to build future generations’ resilience to falsehood, relativization, and the manipulation of history," he emphasized.
The agreement covers not only the financing of the online visits themselves but also the pedagogical preparation of the schools participating in the project. The institutions will conduct preparatory and follow-up classes, and the entire project will undergo a detailed evaluation, the results of which will be used to refine and expand it.
The agreement with Baden-Württemberg is the result of cooperation between the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation and the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education of the German federal states. In October last year, a presentation of the "Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes" platform to its members initiated work on implementing this systemic solution for German schools.
Starting from January 22, visitors participating in guided study tours can access the former bathhouse building in section BIb of the Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp. This historic structure has been extensively conserved thanks to the financial support of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
“The conservation process took 33 months and followed essential principles: minimizing interventions to the absolute necessary and providing exceptional care in safeguarding all historic parts of the building. Consequently, the bathhouse will remain in good technical condition for many years and can now be safely opened to visitors, which was not possible before,” stated Rafał Pióro, Deputy Director of the Museum in charge of preservation.
The conservation efforts covered the building’s façades and chimneys, the wooden roof framework, and the floors. Portions of the external walls and chimney were also realigned. Importantly, the original ceilings made of suprema boards were reinstated; they had been removed in 2006 because of the deteriorated ceiling beams. As a result, the historic interiors have regained an important element of their original appearance,” said Alicja Duda, who directed the project of the conservation of the building.
Archaeological research accompanied the project. As a result, numerous structures and elements were identified and documented as remains of camp infrastructure, along with stratigraphic layers and objects that testify to the functioning of the camp.
The bathhouse building, now accessible to visitors, stands in the oldest section of Auschwitz II-Birkenau, where male prisoners were first detained in March 1942. Construction was finished two months later. It included facilities such as showers, a bathhouse, and latrines for inmates. A notable feature is the set of disinfection chambers, where clothing was disinfected with steam and Zyklon B gas. Visitors can see remnants of water and electrical systems, metal hooks, pipes, and fittings inside. The walls of the Zyklon B disinfection chamber still show blue discolorations, evidence of hydrogen cyanide use.
The comprehensive conservation of the building was carried out as part of the Master Plan for Preservation, developed by the Museum in 2009. The goal is to safeguard all remnants of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz. Implementation of the plan relies on funding from the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
“The bathhouse is the seventh brick building in sector BI of the former Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp to undergo comprehensive conservation financed by the Foundation. To date, four prisoner barracks, a latrine, and a kitchen have been opened to visitors. With the completion of this project, we are now able to present another aspect of camp reality,” emphasized Agnieszka Tanistra-Różanowska, head of the Master Plan for Preservation.
