1 May 2022 and the Remembrance Museum of Land of Oświęcim Residents opened its permanent exhibition in the modernised building on Kolbego Street in Oświęcim. Since then almost 26,000 people have viewed the exhibition or participated in various events organised by this cultural institution.
The museum has successfully made its presence felt over the last two years in the life of the town and neighbouring villages thanks to a modern, multimedia permanent exhibition telling the story of the inhabitants of the Land of Oświęcim who, often at the risk of their health and lives, helped the prisoners of KL Auschwitz during the German occupation. Among the recently added exhibits is a striped camp uniform shirt donated by Andrzej Banaś.
The many temporary exhibitions that have been organised are worthy of note. Three of them – telling the story of the heroes who helped the prisoners of Auschwitz, the children of the Indersdorf female workers and the creation of the Museum – can be viewed outside the building. Temporary exhibitions devoted to the outstanding Oświęcim resident and photographer Awit Szubert (2023) or the world-renowned artist Igor Mitoraj (2024), who grew up in Grojec near Oświęcim, also attracted great interest.
With visitors in mind, a shop has been set up on the ground floor of the museum building, where book lovers will find items published by the Remembrance Museum, such as: “A walk around Oświęcim. Photographs from the collection of Tadeusz Firczyk”, “The Great Journey of Ordinary People” by Andrzej Kacorzyk, “The female face of aid. Post-conference materials”, or the co-published “Monuments, memorial sites, commemorative plaques in the Municipality of Brzeszcze” edited by Dr. Jacek Lachendro. You can also find souvenirs with the museum’s logo and handicrafts made by the attendees of the Occupational Therapy Workshop of the Brother Albert Foundation in Chełmek.
When organising conferences, scientific/academic and educational sessions or encounters with history, the museum usually deals with areas which have not been researched so far. Examples include: the Righteous Among the Nations from the Oświęcim area, forced labourers – forgotten victims of the Third Reich, the post-war fate of children from Auschwitz or families helping Auschwitz prisoners.
The Education Department has had a very productive two years. Among the hundreds of satisfied participants in the Museum’s workshops and lessons were, above all, children and those in their teens and twenties. However, seniors and people with special needs are increasingly frequenting the museum too and look forward to attractive and varied activities.
The film “Courier Girl”, directed by Marek Luzar, has been seen by thousands. The Remembrance Museum co-produced this production about Władysława Rzepecka (née Harat), a teenage courier from Libiąż during the German occupation.
Museum visitors fondly recall the musical events of the “Musically Historically” series or the spectacular concerts performed by the Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra at St. Joseph’s Church in Oświęcim.
Every year, more and more people visit the museum during the Night of the Museums. In 2023, a spectacular light and sound show displayed several times on the façade of the building, together with accompanying events, attracted two thousand people. This year, the Night of Museums will be marked by photography, and one of its biggest attractions will be large-format presentations performed by the Theatr Figur (a touring puppet and shadow theatre) from Krakow. We would like to invite you to join us on 18 May between 5 p.m. and midnight. For the second time, the Remembrance Museum is one of 7 sites organising a joint museum festival whose doors will be wide open to visitors on that day. Joint activities with community institutions and organisations are a very important aspect of the museum’s activities.
2024 has seen significant growth in the number of visitors to the museum. In the first four months there have already been nearly 7,000, mostly from France, Italy and Spain.
Thanks to its wide-ranging activities, the museum has gathered a large circle of friends and supporters over the past six years. Our modest two-year anniversary in our modernised building with its permanent exhibition shows that interest in history, especially local history, is growing.
Finally, we would like to remind you that less than a year ago, during a gala ceremony at Wawel Royal Castle, Director Dorota Mleczko received the Special Award for the Remembrance Museum of Land of Oświęcim Residents in the Sibyl 2022 Competition for the Museum Event of the Year. The award is given to museums for outstanding achievements and promotion of the best models of museum activity.
Thank you very much for all the good wishes we have received. Watch this space. In the near future, we will again surprise, intrigue and inspire you many times during the various events currently in preparation.
Quotes are taken from visitor feedback left on cards in the Reflection Zone.
“It is good that this museum has been created. It is important to me for personal and family reasons. It allows me to remember my grandfather Jan, who was killed in Auschwitz for helping prisoners. He was a resident of Oświęcim.”Ryszard
“What an amazing impression it made! It’s worth visiting this place at least once. Beautiful and brave people. This is my 3rd visit. I will definitely be coming back.”
“Very cool! I learned a lot! Bye!”Angela, Switzerland
