Auschwitz I Memorial

Why visit?

Auschwitz I in Oświęcim is the oldest part of the complex in which Nazi Germany murdered more than 1.1 million people — mostly Jews, but also Poles, Roma and Soviet prisoners of war. The camp was set up in 1940 in former artillery barracks; today the preserved brick blocks house the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, established by an act of the Polish parliament as early as 2 July 1947, less than two and a half years after the liberation. In 1979 the whole complex was inscribed on the UNESCO list as evidence of the crime of genocide. Behind the gate with the cast-iron inscription "Arbeit macht frei" begins a route you will never forget: Block 11, the so-called death block with cells where Zyklon B was first used on prisoners, the Death Wall between Blocks 10 and 11, and Crematorium I with a reconstructed gas chamber. National exhibitions and museum collections — suitcases with names, spectacles, everyday objects — turn an overwhelming statistic into individual human stories. Admission to the Memorial is free, but requires a personal entry pass reserved online at visit.auschwitz.org; the most complete way to understand the site is a paid tour with an educator covering both Auschwitz I and Birkenau. Book well in advance — several weeks in high season — and arrive at least 30 minutes before your slot (security checks; bags up to 35×25×15 cm only). Allow a minimum of 3.5 hours for both parts; the exhibitions are not recommended for visitors under 14.

What you’ll see

• Brama z napisem „Arbeit macht frei”
• Blok 11 i Ściana Śmierci
• Krematorium I z odtworzoną komorą gazową
• Ekspozycje narodowe w dawnych blokach więźniarskich
• Zbiory muzealne: walizki, okulary i przedmioty ofiar

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