Auschwitz is not only a Memorial Site. It is also a significant element of our civilisation. The word Auschwitz has become a distinctive symbol of terror, genocide and the Shoah. It became a synonym for the greatest fall of humanity’s value system. The presentation will delve into the complex history of the camp and its contemporary role as a symbol of the crimes committed during the war. It will examine the ongoing efforts of the Memorial created in 1947 to preserve the site as a historical monument and educate future generations about the dangers of hateful ideologies and the need for moral responsibility. In addition to showing the most important element of the mission of the Memorial, the presentation will also discuss the challenges of social media and new technologies in the work of such a sensitive and important site.

Paweł Sawicki is a press officer and an educator at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum Memorial.  He is responsible for the Memorial’s social media, which is followed by over 2 million people on different platforms. He is also the editor-in-chief of the monthly online magazine Memoria & coordinator of the “Auschwitz: Not Long Ago, Not Far Away” exhibition project on behalf of the Museum. Sawicki is the co-host of the “On Auschwitz” podcast, and creator of the photo album “Auschwitz-Birkenau. The place where you are standing…” that compares 1944 images from Auschwitz II-Birkenau with the authentic site of the Memorial today. He is a photographer and a former radio journalist, having worked for several years on Polish Radio 2 and created a documentary feature series “Auschwitz – between crime and sanctity” that used the audio testimonies from the Auschwitz Memorial Archives.

Booking essential to dowi@jhbholocaust.co.za