Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum: the need for conservation and protection

The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum is one of the main sites of European collective memory which attracts over one million visitors per year.

However, the museum still doesn't have an adequate modern infrastructure such as the visitors centre. The administrative offices of the Museum, educational, research and archival departments are situated in the original buildings of the concentration and extermination camp, which are not optimal for the purpose.

In case of Birkenau – second of the camps in the Auschwitz-Birkenau archipelago – the combination of harsh natural and climatic conditions, swampy land, strong winds and extreme cold and hot temperatures with poor building material, i.e. recycled bricks without plastering, wooden structures without solid foundations contribute to their progressive deterioration. Therefore, there is a very urgent and continuous need for renovating the remaining buildings and other vestiges of physical heritage especially in Auschwitz II – Birkenau.

The museum also disposes of a large number of objects belonging to the victims as well as archival material that is in the need of conservation and protection.

(c) Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum - New equipment in the conservation workshop – display of "Death Books from Auschwitz"

About the "Nine Tasks" project

Against this background, the "Nine Tasks for the Years 2012-2015" project aims at safeguarding the authenticity of this "lieu de memoire" while meeting the growing interest of visitors. It consists in nine tasks, all designed to contribute to the long-term preservation of the memorial site as well as its collections and archives:

1. structural reinforcement of the archives building;
2. Installation of fire suppressant system in the collections and the archives storage areas;
3. Conservation of two wooden barracks at the former KL Auschwitz II-Birkenau;
4. Modernization of suitcase storage;
5. Enhancement of the long-term data storage system and the digital repository;
6. New equipment in the conservation workshop;
7. Modernization of display cases of objects belonging to the victims;
8. Conservation of fringed prayer garments as well as conservation and digitization of archival material; and
9. Analysis of the grounds, buildings and infrastructure of sector B1 in the former KL Auschwitz II-Birkenau.

To this end, a grant of € 4 million (95% of co-financing) was allocated to the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum through the 'Europe for Citizens' programme for the period 2012-2015.

A workshop to mark the near completion of the project

The workshop in Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum was organised to mark the near completion of the "Nine Tasks" project. It brought together around 50 participants from various Museum departments and Polish Ministry of Culture.

This workshop comprised:

• a visit of selected locations supported by the "Nine Tasks" project (new depository of the suitcases belonging to the victims, laboratories where archival material as well as personal objects are conserved);
• a presentation of the entire project by staff and the Director of the museum at the Centre for Dialogue and Prayer in Oświęcim.

A comprehensive report on the implementation of the project was published by the Museum and was made available to the Polish press as well as to the European Commission.

The project will come to an end late 2015. The implementation of tasks scheduled in the project is well on track. The Auschwitz-Birkenau museum team foresees to spend the remaining part of the grant by the end of 2015.