O ś w i ę c i m ISSN 1899-4407 PEO P LE CULTURE TORY is H RecORd NumbeR Of VisitORs tO the Auschwitz museum iN 2010, theRe weRe 1,380,000 VisitORs no. 25 January 2011 Oś—Oświęcim, People, History, Culture magazine, no. 25, January 2011 EDITORIAL BOARD: Oś—Oświęcim, People, History, Culture magazine EDITORIAL In the first of 2011 issues of this month- correct for public oppression. But to Higher Vocational School in Oświęcim ly, we summarize attendance at the oppress, it does not only have to be who are taking part in the project Hu- Auschwitz Memorial. In the past year, physical and it does not only have to be man Rights Yesterday—Human Rights the grounds of the former Auschwitz public. A quiet and effective way to de- Today. Nazi German Concentration and Death stroy a person, or persons, belonging to For seven years, the Center for Dialogue Camp were visited by 1.38 million peo- a certain group is through intolerance,” and Prayer has held Days of Recollec- ple. In the 60-year history of the Muse- Karina Polak writes. tion around the New Year Holiday. In Editor: um, this is a record number. On the pages of the International Youth this issue of Oś you will find reflections Paweł Sawicki We would like to draw particular atten- Meeting Center, there is a report about of participants who attended the recent Editorial secretary: tion to the following two essays, the fruit the two Cracow Poetry Salons that were meeting At the Threshold of Auschwitz. Agnieszka Juskowiak-Sawicka born out of the Jewish Center’s project held in December, where the guests Editorial board: entitled, Why do we need tolerance? These were August Kowalczyk and Andrzej Paweł Sawicki Bartosz Bartyzel texts were written by two students from Seweryn. You will also find an article Editor-in-chief Wiktor Boberek the Marcin Wadowita High School in about the first meeting of secondary [email protected] Jarek Mensfelt Olga Onyszkiewicz Wadowice. “The twenty-first century school students from Weil der Stadt and Jadwiga Pinderska-Lech is a bit too diplomatic, you’d say—too German studies students from the State Artur Szyndler Columnist: Mirosław Ganobis Design and layout: A GALLeRY Of THE 20TH CENTURY Agnieszka Matuła, Grafikon Translations: For many years after the war, and colorful, the format and ownership, and name—of a century the Chemik was in David R. Kennedy the only local newspaper frequency of publication the chemical works in a new our town, later it was not the Proofreading: that appeared in our town were also modified—it was reality, in every respect, there only, but still an important Beata Kłos was Oświęcimski Chemik [The published at a later date as a came a doctrine that produc- source of news and an edito- Cover: Oświęcim Chemist], pub- monthly magazine—for the tion plants should deal only rial forum! Paweł Sawicki lished as a workplace period- entire period of its existence in what they produce, and My cooperation with the Photographer: ical for Zakłady Chemiczne the Chemik had an impor- not—as it was before—for Chemik started in January of Paweł Sawicki Oświęcim [Chemical Works tant role and for many years example, the distribution of 1970, after the publication of a Oświęcim], and distributed to was the only local newspa- onions, or the publication of commemorative poem, dedi- the workforce in two-week in- per. Those in charge of it newspapers! This doctrine, cated to the 25th anniversary tervals. It was devoted to dis- were as follows: Zygmunt that came to be, eventually of the liberation of the Ausch- PUBLISHER: cussions about the economic, Nowakowski, Józef Rusinek, led to the elimination of the witz-Birkenau Concentration social, cultural, and sports life Bogusław Kwiecień, Agata Chemik. Its last issue was Camp. And it lasted, taking Auschwitz-Birkenau of the chemical works, as they Kościelnik with Mirosława number 1113! It appeared on various forms, to its very State Museum existed at that time. The first Pierko—always skillfully and printed with the date May 31, last number! Here I recall this issue of Chemik was released considerately! By changing 2007, so almost exactly on the poem. www.auschwitz.org.pl on May 1, 1962. Zygmunt itself, the range of distribu- 45th anniversary of its first Nowakowski and Henryk tion changed, as did the form publication. For nearly half Andrzej Winogrodzki Foltyn edited it at the time in of distribution. The chemical PaRTnERS: a manner that was contextual, works magazine became a interesting, and professional. general city newspaper, for WE REMEMBER Just as all contemporary press sale at kiosks, and the pub- Jewish In a quiet state of focused remembrance Center at the time, not just factory lication took into considera- On the white fields, with white snow, newspapers, the quality of tion the current issues facing www.ajcf.pl Where from blood came a blade of grass, from ashes a stone the paper, printing, and the the city—the social, cultural, The earth died in the tears of the birch wood graphic design of the Chemik sporting, as well as the his- left much to be desired; but torical subject of our city and On the grave of millions, endless crowds Center for Dialogue among the several thousand surrounding areas. Writ- The spring throws its green flower and Prayer strong crew of the chemical ing for it were well-known It includes a kiss of the sun Foundation works, as well as among their specialists on this subject, The memory and honor of those people. families, it enjoyed great pop- researchers and promot- www.centrum-dialogu.oswiecim.pl ularity and was published in ers of the history of our city: What should we promise, which words large quantities. Elżbieta Skalińska-Dindorf And what gesture should we make with our hands? Over the years, there were and Jan Ptaszkowski. On the holy grass, a sacred stone changes in editors, the graph- After various transforma- We swear on the ashes: Never again! International Youth ic design became elegant tions—in its organization, Meeting Center www.mdsm.pl In COOPERaTIOn WITH: Kasztelania www.kasztelania.pl State Higher Vocational School in Oświęcim www.pwsz-oswiecim.pl Editorial address: „Oś – Oświęcim, Ludzie, Historia, Kultura” Państwowe Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau ul. Więźniów Oświęcimia 20 32-603 Oświęcim e-mail: [email protected] Photo from Mirosław Ganobis’s Collection A square in front of the Chemical Works. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Oś—Oświęcim, People, History, Culture magazine, no. 25, January 2011 Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum Record NumbeR Of Visitors tO the Auschwitz museum iN 2010 n 2010, there were 1,380,000 visitors to the grounds of the former German Nazi Concentration and Exter- mination Camp Auschwitz. This is a record figure in the more than sixty years of the Memorial, which is Ithe most visited site of its kind in the world and the most visited museum in Poland. The constantly rising attendance reflects the significance of this place as a symbol for the world. ers, students, community of Auschwitz has led us to activists, and various occu- continue offering this option pational groups. There were over the winter with guides more than seven thousand in Polish, English, German, participants in in-depth ed- French, Italian, and Span- ucational projects this year. ish,” Urbaniak adds. “In view of the enormous The frequency of service interest on the part of indi- by the free shuttle buses vidual visitors, a new op- between Auschwitz and tion was added in which Birkenau was doubled in they tour the Auschwitz order to make it easier for I and Auschwitz II-Birke- visitors to see both parts nau grounds in organized of the Museum. The Pixel groups with a guide,” ob- company of Bydgoszcz do- serves Magdalena Urba- nated a lighted information niak of the Visitor Service panel for one of the Muse- Section. “The positive re- um buses. sponse to the new method The top ten countries of ori- Neither the closing of air- Year by year the number of of encountering the history Bartosz Bartyzel gin for visitors were Poland space after the eruption of people shown around the (530 thousand), the United the Icelandic volcano nor grounds of the Memorial Kingdom (84 thousand), It- the May floods in Poland by specially prepared and aly (74 thousand), Germany had any significant impact trained guides is increasing. (68 thousand), France (63 on the number of visitors,” In 2010 more than a million thousand), Israel (59 thou- says Andrzej Kacorzyk, persons took guided tours sand), South Korea (47 thou- head of the Visitor Service in the eighteen languages sand), the Czech Republic Section. “A noteworthy spoken by the more than 260 (45 thousand), Slovakia (43 fact is the arrival of ever in- guides. There is also a rise in thousand), and Norway (43 creasing numbers of Euro- the number of people taking thousand). Most important- peans and visitors from the part in specialist education- ly, the majority of the visi- Far East. Last year, there al programs conducted by tors to the Memorial—850 were more visitors to the the International Center for thousand—were young Memorial from South Ko- Education about Auschwitz people, school pupils, and rea than from the United and the Holocaust as part university students. States.” of projects targeting teach- Zwiedzającynumber of wg visitors krajów inw roku 2010 2010 according (pierwsze to 30 countries krajów) PorównanieComparison frekwencji of number odwiedzających of visitors betweenw latach 2001 2001-2010 and 2010 Polska 530600 Poland Holandia 12400 Netherlands Wielka Brytania 84000 United Kingdom Australia 11800 Australia