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new article
art#1: From Remembrance to Responsibility: Why the 81st Anniversary of Auschwitz Was Different
| 81 anniversay of the liberation of Auschwitz | Holocaust | Universalism | Antisemitism | Genocide |
There were some minor lapses and missteps — such situations are inevitable and may have caused some individuals to feel offended. I leave this aside, however, as the overall standard of this three-hour event marking the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, broadcast worldwide, was exceptionally high.- Jerzy Wójcik
An immensely important voice, of course, was the pessimistic voice of Konstanty Gebert, who spoke bluntly of a colossal and fundamental failure. A failure in the sense that “never again” today essentially means only this: never again will Jews be exterminated by Germans. There is no broader, universal conclusion—and we, as a community, have not drawn sufficient lessons from that experience.- Jerzy Wójcik
This time it was different. What Piotr Cywiński said carried real significance: that the experience of the past and the work of memory should function today as a warning, as points of reference in dangerous and unstable moments. This statement is opening because, in my view, it shifts the emphasis toward something I have been arguing for for many years: the preventive dimension of Holocaust education, and of understanding what the Holocaust actually teaches.- Jerzy Wójcik
This shift—from contemplation of the past toward reflection on the present and the future—means that this year’s commemorations can be treated as a turning point. The Auschwitz Museum not only reminded us of what happened here; it also suggested that it has the right—and perhaps the duty—to speak on contemporary issues: the language of hatred, dehumanising propaganda, violence against minorities, and manipulation of history. In this sense, the 81st anniversary was not merely another “round number,” but a clear signal: the memory of Auschwitz is maturing into an active point of reference, not only a museum display case. That is why one can feel that we were not present at yet another commemoration, but at the opening of a new chapter in how this place speaks to the rest of the world.- Jerzy Wójcik
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@cytaty:
#0: Introduction
| New studio | Auschwitz Virtual Tour | Holocaust | Universalism | Antisemitism | Genocide |
"I have been to Israel 25 times — in total, since 1999, I have spent over two years there. I wrote my PhD on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, published articles, and brought out a book on the subject, but I now want to rework it and write in a more human, not strictly academic, language. For 20 years I have been working on the Holocaust, teaching about it, and I have an extensive drone and audiovisual documentation of all the death camps. I created the Auschwitz Virtual Tour session and I tell the story of Auschwitz to people all over the world. What I am starting now is a fully fledged podcast — a video podcast or video blog, and probably a combination of all of that."- Jerzy Wójcik
"It is January 2026. I have made a decision. In the world we live in today, my sessions about Auschwitz must carry a universal message for the younger generation: our responsibility is not only to fight antisemitism and racism - that is obvious, but also to reject the idea of collective blame — the idea that entire communities are responsible for actions they did not choose. But at the same time, as a civilization and as individuals, we must do everything we can, to prevent crimes against humanity, genocide, and ethnic cleansing committed anywhere in the world against ethnic and religious groups"- Jerzy Wójcik
"The story of Auschwitz is not a chapter of Jewish history alone, nor a catastrophe confined to one nation or people — it is a warning to all humanity. It reminds us that hatred, indifference, and the dehumanization of others can grow within any society. The universal message points to one obvious fact: genocide was carried out in Auschwitz, but it began somewhere else entirely"- Jerzy Wójcik
"In that sense, the Auschwitz Virtual Tour is not only a journey through history, but an invitation to moral awareness — there are universal values that we should protect, this is the only way to move forward. This project was never meant to serve any ideology or national agenda. Its purpose is to protect historical truth and to confront us with how genocides and other atrocities come into being"- Jerzy Wójcik
"Teaching about the Holocaust, teaching about Auschwitz, is not just about recounting history — it is about drawing conclusions and trying to stop madness before it once again leads to another genocide".- Jerzy Wójcik
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