Today, over 200 students and teachers from schools and colleges across the North East have participated in our 150th visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau as part of our Lessons from Auschwitz Project.
The Project allows over 3,000 students and teachers from across the UK to visit the site each year. Since its launch in 1999, over 27,000 students and teachers have seen Auschwitz-Birkenau first hand, deepening their understanding of the Holocaust and its contemporary relevance.
Students first visited Oświęcim, the town where the Nazi concentration and death camp was located and where, before the war, 58% of the population was Jewish. Students then visited Auschwitz I to see the former camp’s barracks and crematoria and witnessed the piles of belongings that were seized by the Nazis. Finally they spent time at the main killing centre of Birkenau where the day concluded with candle lighting and a period of reflection to remember the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust and the other victims of Nazi persecution.
Karen Pollock MBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said:
“The Lessons from Auschwitz Project is a vital part of our work, allowing young people to learn about the Holocaust in a way they cannot in the classroom. The visit enables young people to see for themselves where racism, prejudice and antisemitism can ultimately lead. We are delighted to have reached this important milestone of 150 visits and, with government support, we hope that the Project will continue to go from strength to strength.”
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