Language:
English
Year of publication:
2022
Titel der Quelle:
Tour Guides at Memorial Sites and Holocaust Museums
Angaben zur Quelle:
(2022) 113-126
Keywords:
Państwowe Muzeum Oświęcim-Brzezinka
;
Tour guides (Persons) Interviews
;
Holocaust memorials
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Commemoration
;
Antisemitism
Abstract:
In researching this piece, Emilia Smechowski conducted in depth interviews with twelve of the tour guides at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial. She wanted to understand the nature of the guides’ work, how they handle the sheer masses of visitors, and how they are trained and prepared for this demanding job. Smechowski focuses in particular on Elżbieta Pasternak, a guide who is well regarded by visitors and colleagues for her professionalism, and for her knowledge of the historical details. Smechowski evokes the atmosphere of the place and its history, in addition to giving an impression of daily life for the guides and the current residents of Oświęcim (renamed Auschwitz during the German occupation of Poland). A natural progression of topics related to Auschwitz unfolds in the narrative. Among them are life in Oświęcim today in the face of mass tourism to the camp and the city, how the memorial site is managed, and questions about the preservability of the site and of the objects in its exhibits. These topics are in turn embedded in larger questions about the Polish government’s attitudes towards the camp and the history of antisemitism in Poland. The piece reveals much about the current state of Auschwitz, leading the reader to ponder questions about its future as well.
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