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Spain has decided to double its contribution to the Perpetual Fund of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, which enables the preservation of the authenticity of the remains of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz. Spain’s support now amounts to 200,000 euros.

On June 10, 2025, representatives of the Foundation and the Ambassador of Spain to Poland, Ramiro Fernández Bachiller, signed the official confirmation of the donation.

In 2024, the value of the Foundation’s Perpetual Fund exceeded 180 million euros. Since 2012, the Foundation has transferred over 148 million PLN to the Museum for conservation efforts, including 22 million PLN in 2024 alone.

Spain is among the countries whose citizens most frequently visit the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum. In 2024, more than 78,000 people from Spain visited the site.

The Museum also cooperates with the Spanish company Musealia on the traveling exhibition dedicated to the history of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp titled “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.” The exhibition, currently on display in Canada, has been seen by over 1.5 million people at various locations around the world.

Spain is also home to the Honorary Consul of the Auschwitz Memorial Diplomacy of Remebrance, Enrique de Villamor y Soraluce. His work focuses on presenting exhibitions about the history of Auschwitz and organizing study visits to the Memorial for students and teachers. The University of Burgos hosts the Chair of Human Rights and Democratic Culture – the world’s first university chair established in close cooperation with the Auschwitz Museum.

The mission of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation is to fund the Masterplan for Conservation – a long-term program aimed at preserving all camp remains. The overarching goal of this effort is to preserve the authenticity and clarity of the post-camp space for future generations as faithfully as possible.

Croatia has become the 41st country to support the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation's Perpetual Fund. This funding enables the preservation of the authenticity of the remains of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz. Croatia’s contribution will amount to 230,000 euros and is part of a joint pledge from the countries of the former Yugoslavia totaling one million euros.

The agreement was signed on 7 April 2025 at the Croatian Embassy in Warsaw in the presence of Nina Obuljen Koržinek, Minister of Culture and Media of Croatia.

'Croatia played a key role in the over two-year-long process of building a coalition of countries supporting the Foundation’s efforts in the Balkans. I especially want to express gratitude for the personal involvement of Ambassador Tomislav Vidosevic. His support helped build close relations with the Croatian authorities,' emphasized Wojciech Soczewica, Director General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.

During the meeting, Croatia reaffirmed its commitment to accelerating the realization of the joint post-Yugoslav exhibition in Block 17 on the grounds of the former Auschwitz I camp. The discussion also included plans to implement the “Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes” project, which enables online guided tours of the Memorial. This initiative will help spread awareness of the history of the German Nazi Auschwitz camp and commemorate its victims in Croatian schools.

The aim of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation is to finance the Global Preservation Plan – a long-term program to preserve all camp remains. The guiding principle behind this work is to preserve the authenticity and of the post-camp space for future generations.

Since 2012, the Foundation has transferred over 148 million PLN to the Museum for conservation work, including 22 million PLN in 2024 alone. The value of the Foundation’s Perpetual Capital surpassed 180 million euros in 2024.

In recent years, the Foundation has also sought to support the Museum’s educational activities with additional funds. Donors have contributed over 3 million euros for this purpose. These funds are being used for the development and expansion of the online tours platform “Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes” and for the training of guides.

In June 2024, the implementation of Initiative No. 22, titled "Tools for the Implementation of the Educational Strategy of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Oświęcim, Including the Use of Innovative Technologies," commenced.

This project is conducted in collaboration with the Norwegian Center for Holocaust Studies and Religious Minorities and SWPS University in Warsaw. The stages of the Initiative encompass the development and evaluation of training programs for museum staff, focusing on areas such as project management, communication, promotion, education, new technologies, and addressing the challenges associated with educating about Auschwitz and the Holocaust.

Subsequently, a handbook was prepared to facilitate the implementation of the educational strategy. A study entitled "Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes: A Guide for App Users" was developed to support online visitors to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial. This guide is informed by surveys, meetings, and discussions with participants of both traditional and remote visits, as well as input from experienced educational professionals. The primary component of the guide consists of recommendations on how to prepare for the visit using the "Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes" application and its summary. Additionally, it includes insights on the perception of application users, essential tools for remote education, and challenges related to the reception of digital information.

The guide also details the genesis of the application, its objectives, conditions of implementation, technical information on its operation, and online booking procedures. The guide is available in both Polish and English.

Forty countries now support the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation's Perpetual Fund, which ensures the preservation of the authenticity of the remains of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz.

In December 2024, agreements were signed with Serbia, contributing €357,000, and Albania, which pledged €10,000 to the Fund.

"On the eve of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, two more Balkan countries have joined the coalition of Foundation donors. This demonstrates that the authenticity of the preserved historical site resonates with allies in a region that deeply remembers the consequences of conflict and atrocities. I am pleased that the need to protect the Auschwitz Memorial unites and fosters close cooperation, as reflected by the growing number of supporting countries," said Wojciech Soczewica, Director General of the Foundation.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation aims to finance the Master Plan for Preservation, a long-term program securing all camp remains. The overarching goal is to preserve the site's authenticity for future generations.

Since 2012, the Foundation has allocated over PLN 148 million for preservation work at the Auschwitz Memorial, including PLN 22 million in 2024. The value of the Perpetual Fund surpassed €180 million in 2024.

In recent years, the Foundation has also allocated additional resources to support the Museum's educational initiatives. Donors have contributed over €3 million for projects such as developing the online tours platform "Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes" and training for guides.

American teacher Theodore Kempinski has been appointed the Honorary Consul of the Auschwitz Memorial in the United States. He will primarily support the activities undertaken by the Diplomacy of Remembrance of the Museum in the State of Massachusetts.

Haverhill High School in Massachusetts, where Theodore Kempinski teaches, was the first American school to start cooperation with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation to participate in online tours of the Auschwitz Memorial through the platform "Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes."

"As a 25-year History secondary educator, I now commit a significant part of my life to improving Holocaust education relationships with organizations. As a teacher, I dedicated my career to empowering students at Haverhill High School. As time went on I grew to lead many years of community activism for improving public support for education in Massachusetts,” said Theodore Kempinski.

“I now take those two great wells of experience on my new mission to connect the American education system to primary Holocaust sources. Bridges between organizations will transform student lives,” he added.

“The Haverhill community initiative, the entire school district, and local administration have allowed local students to learn about the history of Auschwitz and the Shoah in a way previously inaccessible to them," said Wojciech Soczewica, the general director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.

The appointment was made on 22 November during the National Council for the Social Studies educational conference in Boston, which was attended by thousands of teachers and others involved in education and the popularization of the social sciences in the United States.“This opportunity to meet with so many teachers is a unique chance for me to encourage everyone to watch together the upcoming commemoration event of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. This will allow them to be together with the Survivors and with us in their schools and their classrooms,” said Museum Director Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywiński. Details of the broadcast will be available at 80.auschwitz.org.

At the 104th NCSS conference, the Museum and Foundation present the interactive platform "Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes" to American teachers, enabling live online tours of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp. Additionally, other educational activities conducted by the Diplomacy of Remembrance and the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust are showcased.

The online tour lasts approximately two hours and is divided into two parts: Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. The narration is conducted live by a guide who uses multimedia materials, archival photographs, artworks, documents, and testimonies from survivors. The application also allows interaction with the guide and asking questions.

The "Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes" platform project, which was dedicated specifically to the Auschwitz Memorial, was developed in cooperation with the Museum, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, and the companies AppsFlyer and DISKIN.

"Participating in the NCSS conference provides an opportunity to introduce teachers and educators from across the United States to technology that allows local youth to work with the difficult history of the Shoah, which may seem remote due to geographical distance. Reflecting on the mechanisms of hatred and dehumanization, which Auschwitz symbolizes, remains disturbingly relevant today," said Wojciech Soczewica.

"One of the tasks of memorial sites is to find new ways of communication, reaching broader social groups and engagingly conveying knowledge of the past. Therefore, the platform 'Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes' can play a pivotal role in building awareness among American students about the processes that led to the crimes at Auschwitz," he added.

More information about the online tour can be found here. Schools and educational institutions interested in incorporating the online tour into their programs are encouraged to contact via email: education@fab.org.pl

A panel discussion titled "What Auschwitz Can Teach Us Today: Holocaust Memory and Its Implications for Future Education" also took place at the NCSS conference.

Participants included Jenn Goss from Echoes and Reflections, an organization that collaborates with 145,000 teachers and educators in the USA; Jeremy Nesoff, director at the Boston-based organization Facing History and Ourselves, which prepares educational materials for teachers; Auschwitz Museum Director Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywiński; and Theodore Kempinski. The discussion was moderated by Wojciech Soczewica, the general director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.

Founded in 1921, the National Council for the Social Studies is the largest professional association in the USA dedicated solely to social science education. NCSS supports teachers in strengthening and promoting social sciences.