Dutch government funds Auschwitz exhibition renewal project
The Dutch government is granting €1 million to modernize its national Holocaust exhibition at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland.
The Dutch government is granting €1 million to modernize its national Holocaust exhibition at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland.
Driving the news: Minister Mirjam Sterk announced the grant during a trip to the former concentration and extermination camps alongside a Holocaust survivor and committee representatives.
The big picture:
- Housed in Barrack 21 since 1980, the pavilion focuses on the persecution of Jewish people in the Netherlands.
- The current presentation dates back to 2005 and has remained unchanged for over twenty years.
- The Nazis murdered 1.1 million people at the site, including 58,000 of the roughly 104,000 individuals deported from the Netherlands.
Why it matters: Sterk noted that authentic historical locations are vital for educating upcoming generations as the final living eyewitnesses of the Holocaust pass away.
What is next: The Nederlands Auschwitz Comité (Dutch Auschwitz Committee) and the Nationaal Holocaustmuseum (National Holocaust Museum) will craft the modernization plan, while talks continue with outside funds for co-financing.
