Auschwitz Birkenau
German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945)
Factors affecting the property in 2006*
- Management systems/ management plan
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
Lack of a management plan
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2006
Total amount provided to the property: USD 20,000 by the State Party of Israel for an expert workshop (13-15 May 2004) on the preparation of a management plan for the Auschwitz Concentration Camp as well as the visit of a Polish expert to the Documentation Centre at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel.
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2006
Total amount approved : 30,000 USD
| 2000 | Experts Meetings for the Strategic Governmental ... (Approved) | 10,000 USD |
| 1998 | International Expert Meeting on the Planning and ... (Approved) | 20,000 USD |
Missions to the property until 2006**
Mission of the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee with UNESCO and ICOMOS from 1 to 2 July 2001.
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2006
The state of conservation report submitted on 31 January 2006 outlined the implementation of the second stage of the Governmental Strategic Programme for the Oświęcim Area for the years 2002-2006. The State Party had also informed the World Heritage Centre by letter on 7 April 2005 of progress made in the preparation of a management plan for the property. The draft management plan was expected by January 2006, but at the time of preparation of this report (April 2006), it had not been received.
However, a progress report on the drawing up of the draft management plan was submitted on 23 January 2006. This focused on efforts to complete the property management plan, on the Stage II Oświęcim Strategic Government Programme for 2002 - 2006, and on educational work being carried out by the International Centre of Education, attached to the State Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum in Oświęcim.
Specific members of the Steering Committee and Planning Group for the management plan and their roles were identified, and a timeline was given in 4 Phases for the expected completion of the management plan with a completion date of Phase II by March 2006 and an estimate for Phase III to take 3-5 months, beginning in April 2006. Many of the activities carried out under the Stage II Oświęcim Strategic Government Programme for 2002-2006 were successfully carried out and described in this report.
A second letter was received from the State Party on 25 April 2006 to inform the World Heritage Centre that the second phase of work on the management plan had been completed and was then submitted to the Steering Committee and to experts. Once comments from the Steering Committee and experts are taken into consideration, consultations will be carried out with international World Heritage experts.
Despite the fact that the State Party has failed to keep to the targets assigned in the original contract, the efforts currently in place to complete the management plan are significant. The targets for management plan completion may have been unrealistic, and ICOMOS is sympathetic to allowing the State Party the necessary time to carry out this work properly. The State Party may seek additional funding to complete the management plan for 1 February 2007.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2006
30 COM 7B.88
State of Conservation (Auschwitz Concentration Camp)
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 29 COM 7B.68, adopted at its 29th session (Durban, 2005),
3. Commends the State Party for the preparatory work done to date on the management plan for the site and under the Stage II Oświęcim Strategic Government Programme;
4. Regrets that the State Party was unable to provide the World Heritage Centre with the management plan by 1 February 2006, as requested in Decision 29 COM 7B.68, paragraph 5;
5. Requests the State Party to provide the World Heritage Centre with the management plan, elaborated with involvement of the International Experts Group, by 1 February 2007, and a report on the state of conservation of the property, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 31st session in 2007.
30 COM 8B.12
Changes to Names of Properties (Auschwitz Concentration Camp)
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30.COM/8B including the request of the Government of the Republic of Poland for amending the name of the site to the "Former Nazi German Concentration and Extermination Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau" in order to promote adequate historical understanding of its creation;
2. Values the continuing endeavors of Poland to ensure the conservation of the site and the preservation of its authenticity in cooperation with the institutions and organizations concerned at the international level;
3. Recognizes the importance of the information and education efforts, directed in particular to the youth, undertaken by many State Parties in order to denounce the atrocities of the Nazi regime;
4. Recalls that the criterion for its inscription on the World Heritage List relates to the events of outstanding universal significance that not only depict an evil period of history but also to serve as a beacon of warning to uphold the human values and ideals that are part of the UNESCO constitution declared out of the ashes of the Second World War in 1945;
5. Strongly encourages educational programmes and media activities to explain the historical context of the property, the role of the Nazi regime in the building of this concentration camp and the planned genocide of the Jewish people together with the lessons and warnings that need to be learned for the world and also requests that these programmes should be made available at World Heritage web-site links and considers, that the modification of the name and the site description should reflect these values;
6. Welcomes the proposal made by the State Party to appraise the possible amendments, through international consultation together with the Secretariat, as evidence of its appropriate outstanding universal value, prior to its examination at the 31st session of the World Heritage Committee in 2007.
Draft Decision: 30 COM 7B.88
The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 29 COM 7B.68, adopted at its 29th session (Durban, 2005),
3. Commends the State Party for the preparatory work done to date on the management plan for the site and under the Stage II Oświęcim Strategic Government Programme;
4. Regrets that the State Party was unable to provide the World Heritage Centre with the management plan by 1 February 2006, as requested in Decision 29 COM 7B.68, paragraph 5;
5. Requests the State Party to provide the World Heritage Centre with the management plan by 1 February 2007, and a report on the state of conservation of the property, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 31st session in 2007.
Poland
* :
The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).
** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.
