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Poles ask the world for funds to stop Auschwitz falling into ruin
Last updated at 21:32pm on 05.08.08
Auschwitz is falling into ruins and needs international funding to be kept open, the Polish authorities responsible for maintaining the Nazi death camp said yesterday.
Spokesman Jaroslaw Mensfelt said: 'Without outside help, Poland could have trouble retaining Auschwitz as a memorial site.'
An appeal has gone out, particularly to the EU, to 'share the burden' in keeping the site of the Birkenau extermination centre --which is separate from the rest of the complex - open as a place of homage and remembrance.
Enlarge
Emaciated children clad in striped pyjamas line the barbed-wire fence at Auschwitz in this file photo
Up to 1.5million Jews were murdered in the gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau, near Krakow, before it was liberated by the Russians in January 1945.
Piotr Cywinski, the director of the memorial, £50million was needed for repairs, while another two is earned from the sales of books, fees for tours and parking.
Cywinski said that the international community, particularly the EU, should “share the burden” of keeping up the memorial.
Germany gave £5 million in the 1990s to upgrade some barracks and install heating in some rooms.
But the passage of time has taken its toll on what was the prime killing centre for the Nazis in WW2.
Between 1.2 and 1.5 European, Balkan and Russian Jews were murdered in the gas chambers of the Birkenau complex, killed by a gas called Zyklon B.
After the war, a monument and museum was built on the site of the camps.
Interest in the monuments has grown in recent years with a record 1.2 million people visiting the museum last year.
An aerial view of the main camp at Auschwitz. Authorities say the camp is falling into ruin
Unlike other extermination centres, Auschwitz, situated near Krakow, was also a slave labour centre with inmates not “selected” for death put to work in factories producing goods for the German war effort.
When the Russians liberated it in January 1945 they discovered mountains of valuables, human hair, gold teeth, spectacles and thousands and thousands of children's dolls – all taken from those who were murdered there.
Since the fall of Communism it has become a special place of pilgrimage for people from all lands, but particularly Jews from Israel.
Reader views (4)
Surely those who view it as a 'special place of pilgrimage' would be more than happy to put their hands in their pockets to fund its upkeep.
There are Holocaust centres all around the world, I find it hard to believe these poeple wouldn't be keen to channel some profits into its restoration.
No? Strange that.
- Steve, London
Wouldn't it be better to let this fall into ruin now. How much longer are we going to keep hearing about this, do they want to keep it going forever. If that is the case anyone who has ever had a wrong done them can go on about it until the end of time. The English could go on about the treatment the Romans meted out to them, as could a large swathe of Europe. But we don't as it is in the past, Nazi Germany was finished over 60 years ago now, please everyone let it go.
- Simon Payton, London, UK
Hopefully Siemens already contribute heavily to Auschwitz but if not - they should do given they built their company off the slave labour from Auschwitz and Buchenwald.
It is so important that numbers continue to grow in regards to visiting Auschwitz. Although we have obviously forgotten the lessons already - Rwanda, the Balkans - here is the results of humanity at its worse - we should all pay to see it maintained.
We should all go and see how horrific we can behave to each other. If you have not been -go - and leave a large donation.
Unless we remember - History will repeat - and sooner rather than later!
- Jc, se1
Shouldn't the income from the thousands of visitors be covering the costs?
- Rogan, Irving
