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Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum Travel Guide

Travel to Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum - Holocaust Memorial Museum

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All over the world, Auschwitz has become a symbol of terror, genocide, and the Holocaust. It was established by the Nazis in the suburbs of the city of Oświęcim which, like other parts of Poland, was occupied by the Germans during the Second World War. The name of the city of Oswiecim was changed to Auschwitz, which also then became the name of the camp as well. The site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

The Nazi German Concentration Camp of Auschwitz was the largest of the Nazi German extermination camps. Between 1940 and 1945, at least 1 million people, mostly Jews, were killed in the Auschwitz camps. After the war, the Polish government took possession of the Buna-Werke, a chemical factory owned by IG Farben which had previously used Auschwitz prisoners as slave labourers. The chemical industry became the main employer of Oświęcim and in later times the concentration camps became museums.

Attractions in Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum

The Museum is engaged in a variety of activities. It preserves and secures post-camp objects and buildings, as well as acquiring, studying, and providing access to documents and other items of historical value. It also collects various sorts of art associated with Auschwitz.

Admission to the grounds of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial is free of charge.

Getting Around

Located in the suburbs of the city of Oświęcim, easily accessible by train from Krakow. The 3 km distance between the sites of the Auschwitz and Birkenau Concentration Camps can be covered on foot through the camp area, but there is also a shuttle bus that runs once an hour from April 15 to October 31.