Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau

About Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau

The preserved remains of Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau function as a memorial and museum to the 1.1 million people murdered there, mostly Jews.

Auschwitz-Birkenau is not a museum in the conventional sense — it is a preserved crime scene and a place of remembrance. The site encompasses two main areas: Auschwitz I, the original concentration camp established in 1940 in converted Polish army barracks, and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, the vast extermination camp built in 1941 across 171 hectares of countryside 3 km away. Between 1940 and January 1945, an estimated 1.1 million people were murdered here, approximately 90 per cent of them Jewish. At Auschwitz I, the permanent exhibition inside the original brick blocks documents the camp's history through photographs, documents and recovered personal belongings — suitcases, shoes, eyeglasses, and human hair — displayed behind glass in rooms that leave a lasting, visceral impact. Block 11, known as the 'Block of Death,' contains the standing cells and the courtyard execution wall. Gas chamber and crematorium I, partially reconstructed, can be entered by visitors. Birkenau is experienced differently: the sheer scale of the site — with its ruined gas chambers, wooden barracks, the selection ramp where arriving deportees were divided, and the memorial at the far end — communicates the industrial nature of the genocide in a way that photographs cannot. National exhibitions maintained by countries whose citizens were murdered here occupy additional blocks. Visits require advance booking, especially between April and October. Guided tours (available in many languages) are mandatory during peak midday hours, but early-morning and late-afternoon entry allows independent visits. Photography is permitted in most areas, but visitors are asked to behave with appropriate solemnity. The shuttle bus between Auschwitz I and Birkenau runs every 10–15 minutes and is included in admission.

Notable collections

Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau is home to several collections of international significance. These holdings distinguish it from other memorial & remembrance institutions and represent the depth of its curatorial programme:

• ◆Over 100,000 recovered personal items including shoes, suitcases and spectacles
• ◆Photographic archive including the Auschwitz Album — the only surviving visual record of the selection process
• ◆Thousands of original documents from camp administration
• ◆Artworks created secretly by prisoners including works by Marian Kolodziej
• ◆Architectural plans and models of gas chambers and crematoria

Why Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau ranks #34

Our editorial ranking blends data from TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice awards, AECOM/TEA annual attendance figures, and coverage in leading travel publications including Condé Nast Traveler, Time Out, National Geographic and The Times. Ranking at #34, Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau is one of the fifty most acclaimed museums on our composite index — a destination that serious museum-goers and casual visitors alike should have on their list. Key recognitions include: UNESCO World Heritage, Free entry.

Must-see highlights

With a recommended visit time of 3.5 hours, planning your route through Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau is essential. Here are the standout works and spaces that should be at the top of your list:

• ◆Auschwitz I exhibitions
• ◆Birkenau ramp and ruins
• ◆Block 11 (Block of Death)
• ◆Gas chamber and crematorium I
• ◆Personal effects exhibits
• ◆National memorial exhibitions
• ◆Birkenau memorial monument
• ◆International Centre for Education about Auschwitz

Recognition & awards

Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau has received recognition from multiple authoritative sources in the museum and travel industry:

Planning your visit

History of Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau

Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau was established in 1947, and has since built a reputation over 7 decades of service to the public. Today, Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau stands as a defining institution of Oświęcim's cultural identity. With 2,300,000 annual visitors, it plays a vital role in Poland's cultural tourism economy and stands as one of the most important memorial & remembrance museums in the Europe region.

Other top memorial & remembrance museums

If you enjoy memorial & remembrance museums like Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau, you may also want to explore these highly-ranked institutions in the same category:

• #33Yad VashemJerusalem, Israel
• #35United States Holocaust Memorial MuseumWashington, United States
• #36Anne Frank HouseAmsterdam, Netherlands
• #399/11 Memorial & MuseumNew York, United States
• #40Hiroshima Peace Memorial MuseumHiroshima, Japan

Frequently asked questions