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433 historical documents scheduled for sale at an auction house in Neuss, Germany, in November last year, were entrusted to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.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.
On 16 October, the ministers responsible for education in all German states took part in a special online tour of the Auschwitz Memorial through the platform “Auschwitz in Front of your Eyes“.
The tour makes it possible to see two parts of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp, Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, from anywhere in the world.
The narration of the guide is conducted live. In addition, the educator makes use of multimedia materials, archival photographs, works of art, documents, and the testimonies of Survivors.
The tour was part of the Conference of Ministers of Education (Kultusministerkonferenz – KMK), which took place in Berlin.
“The crimes of National Socialism can never, ever be suppressed or forgotten,” said Simone Oldenburg, Chair of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Minister of Education of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
“The live guided online tour is of great importance in convincingly conveying knowledge about the Holocaust to young people – especially when a personal visit to the site is not possible. The culture of remembrance is the foundation of our democracy – it protects against the falsification of history and the renewed rise of ideologies that despise humanity,” she added.
Education about Auschwitz and the crimes of the Holocaust is a moral responsibility of all nations,” said Wojciech Soczewica, Director General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
“It is not only a matter of history, but of responsibility towards future generations. The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation is a partner for governments and educational institutions worldwide in developing modern tools that help fulfill this duty. The fact that the Ministers of Education from all German federal states jointly visited the Memorial demonstrates how crucial personal engagement of leaders is in Holocaust education. It is an example that should inspire other countries to take similar actions – ensuring that memory and education remain a living part of their educational policies,” he added.
The Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) is an association of ministers and senators responsible for schooling, universities, science, and culture in Germany’s 16 federal states. Its main tasks include the coordination of education policies, enabling the Länder to make joint decisions and agreements on matters of education, higher education, and culture of supra-regional significance.
The special online platform „Auschwitz In Front of your Eyes” was created through the cooperation of the Museum, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, and the companies AppsFlyer and DISKIN.
The online guided tour is available for groups from schools, universities, educational institutions, museums, or companies. A group may participate together (using one screen in a larger room) or individually (each participant using their own device). Tours can be booked on the website visit.auschwitz.org.
All institutions wishing to book online tours for larger numbers of groups at different times are asked to contact the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation directly at: education@fab.org.pl
