Tens of thousands of items with unique characteristics, special significance, and unique symbolism are part of the historical collection at the Auschwitz Museum. The collection includes items that deportees brought with them and were later discovered there after liberation. Along with items related to the SS garrison, the perpetrators of the crime, Auschwitz Birkenau Memorial and Museum also includes items used by the camp's inmates like thousands of shoes, 3,800 pieces of baggage, more than 12,000 food utensils, 470 orthoses and prosthetics, 397 striped camp attire, and almost 4,100 pieces of art made by the inmates. There are also pieces of evidence of crimes directly related to extermination, such as Zyklon B cans and the ruins of gas chambers and crematoria.
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The largest and only collection of its sort in the world, the Auschwitz Birkenau State Museum's Works of Art portrays the feelings that the prisoners experienced on a daily basis. The fact that these pieces were created in extremely dangerous circumstances, the collection has a significant historical significance and emotional value. This collection includes works created both secretly and under the SS's command, depicting the hard life of the concentration and extermination camps. Other highlights of this collection include the drawings and small items created by prisoners for personal use as well as the artwork created by them for the Lagermuseum and art pieces produced by former captives after the war.
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The Auschwitz Birkenau State Museum's Archives collection includes original documents made by camp offices during the Auschwitz camps' operational times and original documents created by Auschwitz prisoners during the camp resistance movement. Additionally, the collection includes copies of Auschwitz-related materials acquired from other organisations, postwar sources like trial transcripts, witness reports, and former prisoners' memoirs, as well as drawings and audio-visual materials. The majority of the records kept in the Archives were found on the grounds of the freed camp or in locations where they were secretly sent while the camp was still in operation. Additional materials are collections from former inmates, their families, and different industrial sites that served as Auschwitz sub-camps.
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Location: Więźniów Oświęcimia 20, 32-603 Oświęcim, Poland
Timings:
December: 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
January and November: 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
February: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
March and October: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
April, May, and September: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
June, July, and August: 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Closure: January 1, December 25, and Easter Sunday
Best Time To Visit: The best time to visit the Auschwitz Museum is in April and September because of the mild weather and low tourist season. Additionally, scheduling your visit for the morning of a weekday is a great way to escape the weekend crowds.
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