The Great Synagogue Memorial Park

The Great Synagogue Memorial Park
Berka Joselewicza 5 str

For centuries the Great Synagogue in Oświęcim was the center of the Jewish life in our town. Following the occupation of Oświęcim, the Great Synagogue was set ablaze and destroyed by the Germans on the night of November 29, 1939. The site was long an empty lot, with in recent years signage describing the synagogue.
In the park there is an installation containing a model, photos and the history of the house of prayer, as well as 40 stone slabs arranged in a  free composition. This irregular layout symbolizes the ruins - the remains of the former synagogue.

Thanks to the generous support of the town of Oświęcim as well as institutional and private donors from Poland and beyond, we have transformed this space into a Memorial Park to create opportunities for reflection and remembrance for residents of Oświęcim and visitors to the town.
Memorial Park in Oświęcim won the award of the Society of Polish Town Planners for the best developed green public space in Poland, and was nominated for the EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award.