group of our Ambassadors had the chance on 18–19.03.2016 to take part in a study visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and in accompanying workshops as a part of the “Lesser Poland Remembers” programme carried out by the Marshal’s Office as a pilot project right now.

On Friday, March 18th we started with the rising sun from Nowy Sącz in a strong group of 19. We reached Oświęcim without problems, where Mrs Katarzyna Piosek, the coordinator of our visit, took care of us. At 9 we were already in the Jewish Centre, where a group of 11 students of one of Kraków high schools joined us. Together we took part in the workshop “Pre-war Jewish life in Oświęcim”, during which we learned new interesting things about Jewish culture and local community.

Around 11:30 our visit at the Memorial Site started We spent 3 hours in total visiting two parts of the memorial (camp I & II) under the direction of our guide, a member of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum staff. Touching images, stories nad places that we’ve visited will surely leave a long-lasting trace in all of us.

On the first day also the “Why should we still care about Auschwitz” workshop took place at our lodgings, which was the exceptional building complex of the Salesian Society in Oświęcim, where not only a monastery, school and dormitory, but also a hotel, workshops and other things are located.

We spent the second day, Saturday in the Book Gallery Library in Oświęcim, where we listened to the lecture by Alicja Bartuś “There are no children, there are people” and we took part in the “From words to killing” workshop led by Katarzyna Piosek. We’ve also been given a tour of the Library – an exceptionally modern and user-friendly place, which is not only a treasury of knowledge, but also a cultural centre for local community.

After filling out evaluation forms and lunch we went back home. Our trip lasted for only two days, but in its course many things happened, we’ve been given a great dose of very valuable information but also of strong emotions as well. The workshops and lectures accompanying the visit in the Museum were its perfect completion and let us better understand, what the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Site symbolizes and what it reminds us of.