HERITAGE AND HOLOCAUST EDUCATION

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it"

George Santanaya

Growing  cultural, political and social  diversity in the more and more globalized world has led to repetitive outbreaks of xenophobia, nationalism and anti-Semitism. The old, never challenged, cultural stereotypes are still used for social or political purposes, aiming against different minorities. The sooner we start to adopt to live and cooperate in multi cultural societies, the better for us and our children. Education seems to be the key for the problems from the past. Raising historical and cultural awareness of people can help us to prevent from repeating the former mistakes. The historically educated society is less pliable to be manipulated and more conscious and responsible for its political choices.

History education ceased to be only a tribute paid to past generations in recognition of their creativity, struggles and suffering. At present, education is a tool to help us predict certain political and social trends and counteract certain mistakes from the past from being repeated.

This social awareness education is particularly important in the time of information overflow when different forms of historical revisionisms are gaining access to modern media to be used for political purposes. Similar mixture of revisionism and politics led to the calamities of humanity in the past.

The social texture of Poland before the Second World War is a perfect study case of multi cultural society and challenges it brings. The later German Nazi occupation of Poland with all its deliberate extermination politics and cruelty against local population represents the very core of totalitarian, nationalistic and racist ideology. The German Nazi Holocaust organized on those lands shows us the most extreme case of genocide in the history of humanity carried against the European Jews. Places connected with those events are in majority still here as silent witnesses of the past sending us the strong message not to forget. 

There is probably no better form of education than facing the actual sites where the history happened to get the tangible proof of the past events. Educational visits to Concentration - Extermination  Camps, killing sites and commemoration places enriched with meetings of War and Holocaust survivors are creating  the best opportunity to teach this chapter of history.

Such field education experience promotes values of dialogue-based, open society, political and social awareness and global  responsibility.

AUSCHWITZ STUDY TOURS

Years of experience and cooperation with various Holocaust Education Centers in the world have thought us of different motivations and needs of visitors coming to see Auschwitz-Birkenau. Understanding the serious drawbacks of growing mass tourist visits we decided to offer one or few days  academically developed and experience-based itineraries.

Those Holocaust Study itineraries are mainly aimed at students of various age and members of Jewish communities and organizations from the United States, Canada, Australia, Israel, Poland, Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Taking into account the special needs of our partners we always shape the program to be a tailor-made offer.

EXEMPLARY  ITINERARIES

We  always suggest to visit Auschwitz and Birkenau on a full day tour which begins in Cracow and gives the full chronology of Holocaust events on this territory. Before driving to Auschwitz and Birkenau we make an introductory visit to the Cracow Ghetto, Schinlder's Factory and Plaszow Camp territory. These 2 hours spent in the morning in Cracow help to understand the fate of Polish Jews and prepare for the more complete visit to Auschwitz and Birkanau. Additionally, this makes us start  in Auschwitz Museum around noon so after all the mass bus tours which come in the morning. In this way we are not distracted by the crowds of people.

Starting at noon leaves us a lot of time to explore Auschwitz and Birkenau calmly. If time allows, we also visit the only remaining synagogue in the city of Oswiecim/Auschwitz with its little museum devoted to life in Shtetl.

1. AUSCHWITZ ITINERARY

From Shtetl through Getto to Auschwitz. History of life and death.

9:00 a.m. - Pick up at any of the Cracow's hotels, Cracow-Balice Airport or Katowice-Pyrzowice Airport

9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m - Visit to Podgorze, part of Cracow changed  into Ghetto by the Natzis during WW II. Following the traces of Schindler List and visit to the Schindler's Factory.

Drive through the territory of Plaszow former Labour Camp in the vicinity of Cracow. Transitory Camp for Hungarian Jews on their way to Auschwitz.

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Transfer from Cracow through Monowitz (former IG Farben) to Auschwitz Museum

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Visit to Auschwitz I Museum Exhibition - Concentration Camp and international symbol of Holocaust.

2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - coffee/snack break

3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Visit to Birkeanu Museum Exhibition - Extermination Camp

4.30 p.m. - 6.00 p.m. - Transfer from Oswiecim to Cracow

* 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Optional visit to the recently restored Synagogue in Oswiecim town (Auschwitz) and Jewish Education Center. Possibility of watching documental movies from pre-war Oswiecim (shtetl).

5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Transfer from Oswiecim to Cracow

6:00 p.m. / 7:00 p.m. - Drop off at any of the Cracow's hotels, Cracow-Balice Airport or Katowice-Pyrzowice Airport

2. AUSCHWITZ ITINERARY

From Kazmierz through Getto to Auschwitz. History of life and death.

9:00 a.m. - Pick up at any of the Cracow's hotels, Cracow-Balice Airport or Katowice-Pyrzowice Airport

9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m - Visit to Kazimierz - the former Jewish district of Cracow. Entrance to the Remuh synagogue and cemetery. Drive through  Podgorze, part of Cracow changed  into Ghetto by the Natzis during WW II. Following the traces of Schindler's List.

Drive through the territory of Plaszow former Labour Camp in the vicinity of Cracow. Transitory Camp for Hungarian Jews on their way to Auschwitz.

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Transfer from Cracow through Monowitz (former IG Farben) to Auschwitz Museum

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Visit to Auschwitz I Museum Exhibition - Concentration Camp and international symbol of Holocaust.

2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - coffee/snack break

3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Visit to Birkeanu Museum Exhibition - Extermination Camp

4.30 p.m. - 6.00 p.m. - Transfer from Oswiecim to Cracow

* 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Optional visit to the recently restored  Synagogue in Oswiecim town (Auschwitz) and Jewish Education Center. Possibility of watching documental movies from pre-war Oswiecim (shtetl).

5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m - Transfer from Oswiecim to Cracow

6:00 p.m. / 7:00 p.m. - Drop off at any of the Cracow's hotels, Cracow-Balice Airport or Katowice-Pyrzowice Airport

3. HOLOCAUST SITES ITINERARY

Few days expert, group tour of Lublin/Majdanek  and Action Reinchard Death Camps of Treblinka, Belzec and Sobibor.

The three death camps of Treblinka, Belzec  and Sobibor represent the ultimate evil of the German Nazis and ultimate destruction of Polish Jewry. Those places are often scarcely known or recognized because the Nazis did they best so that we would not remember them.