Just recently our Foundation has acquired for safekeeping original, historical building of Camp Kitchen/ Canteen KL Auschwitz.
It is another, third historical site of memory passed to our Foundation, two earlier are building of washroom of KL Auschwitz-Jawischowitz and building of Female Penal Company KL Auschwitz-Bór/Budy.
Fate of this slowly degrading bulding was know to us for a long time now, and we’ve been actively interested in it. At the end of 2015 we’ve started offical path for possibility of taking care of building. It was proposal of Oświęcim city Foreman mr zbigniew Starzec, which was later approved voievodship Conservator mr Jan Janczykowski – which later succeded in second half of 2016, when Voyivode of Lesser Poland mr Józef Pilch gave a positive opinion and his approval for signing a contract with us. Official signing of documents for timeless rental of the Canteen took place at the end of 2016, between representatives of our Foundation and Oświęcim city Foreman. After creating a photographic inventory of the whole site, with the day of 1st January 2017 this historical building along with it’s area has been moved under our protection.
Camp Kitchen/ Canteen KL Auchwitz is one of the biggest in wooden building of this cubature in whole Europe (cubature measures almost 15 000m3)
In a straight line, building is only 400m far from the „Arbeit Macht Frei” gate of KL Auschwitz
– Historical sketch
Plans for building this camp object started in August 1941, but officialy, in preserved camp documents, first intrusions happen as late as 1st of November 1941 and are regarding an investment already existing in one fourth. We do not know exactly when the field building works started, but they lasted until April 1942. Object was officialy finished 18th April 1942, altough there was still some finishing going on inside.
After the liberation in 1945, in the late 40’s building has been taken over by National Grain Works from Cracow, branch in Oświęcim. After closing of that company, building along with the area become property of National Treasury.
– Technical sketch
Wooden building with barrack construction, in the middle central part made of brick. On the axis of the side wings it is cellared, above main, central entrance there a few rooms, in one, central on the axis of great wing, at the time were located two movie projectors. Below them, on the ground floor on the west side of main door there are preserved toilet rooms, on the east side large, empty hall.
Western wing of building today is a large open space, sadly in 2014 one of the roof scaffoldings broke and fell into the building along with a part of the roof. Eastern wing today is practically also a large chamber, altough on the floor there are visible remains after eight large kitchen kettles, further it divides into two rooms, and in the corridor between there are located stairs to the cellar. In the years after war end fragment of this wing from the side of railway ramp has been removed and a small, two floor construction has been added, which was a technical support for the machinery used for grain stored in whole building.
Great hall (biggest part of building) is a large empty space, at the end of which from the southern side (in the direction of Soła river) there is a cellared large theatrical stage, of course with a prompter booth. After lowering the cinema scrren, films were projected from the room on the first floor on the northern end of the hall, that is projector room.
Building of Cantten is strictly tied with martyrdom and prisoners of ex german nazi concentration camp KL Auschwitz-Birkenau. It is with their effort and their hands it was built, and during functioning of the camp it was place of their slave labour.
Director of National Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau – Piotr Cywiński said (quote).:
„If one Site was to speak to the conscience of man from 21st centruy, then this Site is Auschwitz-Birkenau. Last still well preserved of large doom factories. Largest of german nazi concentration camps. If the world, that we want to create, is going to be a world safer, more peacuful, friendly, then significance of authenticity Memory Sites of Auschwitz – Birkenau has to stay clear. Past cannot be changed. Future however lies in our hands. Help us preserve authenticity of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Help us warn man about himself. Do not let history go mute. Save the memory.”
Object is in desperate need of immediate renovation and we have started first actions to obtain financial means for securing it and preliminary conservation works. Each and every financial aid will bring us closer to start serious conservation.
We do realise seriousness of this venture and the responsibility that accompanies it, still we are sure that it is our Foundation, working here, locally, for a few years now taking care of two other historically significant Sites is the right organization that should have the possibility of bringing this one of a kind object back to public space. We know, that passing us this object will be a great credit of trust and distinction for us, but we hope that along with many museums and institutions that already backed us up and want to work with us will be able to save this unique historical object – Camp Kitchen/Canteen KL Auschwitz so that we will be able to realise in it our plans and statute aims.
