Should visitors to Auschwitz pay an entrance fee?

yet, the mods didn't get that. oh well

I think they simply mentioned the countries and left out the provinces of those countries... LOL

Jag skämtar bara... ;)


I see your point plk and I realize that today it's a huge tourist attraction but I think some people might think it's distasteful. I like to think of Auschwitz (and other concentration camps) as historical monuments of the-very-worst humankind failings.

And now because of the number of tourists coming there is a multi million pound culloden experience centre which downplays much of the horror, staff dressed as redcoats, car parking charges, souvinier shops, kids stuff etc etc

An entrance fee to Auschwitz could be the start of turning the "Auschwitz Experience" in to something kitsch.

Since we already have this "Polish concentration camp" we should make some $$$ out of it.Entrance fee for foraigners 30 Pln(Polish citizens free),guides extra,souvenir shop and whatever else that can make us $$$.I wish they let me run this place.

I don't know how serious your comment is.

I believe Auschwitz is becoming a tourist destination. It has become a must see place, a place to be crossed off on the places to visit list.

One should feel a need to visit and be prepared to spend hours taking it all in. Otherwise it's pointless walking through the gate.

Those who have the willingness to to learn will no doubt have no problem paying for upkeep.

Alternatively, those who have seen and learnt may be willing to donate when they exit.

what about citizens of Isreal?

You already do. They are called tourists.

Just like Wrocław said, I think it already has boceme a tourist destination. Cracow - Wieliczka - Auschwitz are top must see-ers when it comes to Polish tourist atractions.

As for the initial question:


I don't think that we Poles have the right to point fingers and demand who should pay for the up-keep of the camp. I mean, why should todays germans pay for it? The only people, however, that should pay for it are those that still take profit from it's existance. And it should be done valunteerly. If Polish or Israeli government have the desire to build their nations national identity on this tradegy than they should pay...

I bet you do, its a no brainer. Entrance fee job done.

Personally i think they should charge a small entrance fee, i was surprised the first time i visted that it was free or perhaps set up a web site based charity. You'd think many would donate and i repeat you'd think.

I was there recently and the main camp Auschwitz is in excellent condition, (they just dont make them like that anymore) Auschwitz II - Birkenau is the one thats falling apart.

what about the town of Oświęcim, I bet it is in tip-top shape ?

The new museum for the "Jewish contribution to Poland" that is being built in Warsaw is paid for by Germany, Poland and a number of Jewish foundations. This museum will be run as a business and financed by revenues as well as donations. Auschwitz is a reminder to future generations of what happens when it all goes wrong. So the place needs to be preserved, as for who foots the bill those who wish it to be preserved.

I think group tours could be paid for, although perhaps a special deal if it is an educational establishment. Or, perhaps limited entry to the camp for free and special entry to exhibitions charged.

Perhaps a photograph charge could be introduced (although hard to enforce). It might be quite proftiable income from all those grinning tourists standing making peace signs under the 'arbeit macht frei' sign.

set two rates resident rate $5 and non resident $15
picture taking rates $10 and filming $50
use the money to keep the complex open and the rest use to send aid to Palestinians

i don't think that past residents of the camp should pay anything.. everyone else though, is another story.

i believe they already do this for group tours and educational establishments.


ive never seen grinning tourist there.

You haven't been to the March of the Living then.
youtube.com/watch?v=qX-5mi79low

No i havent been to that and personally when i respect the dead i dont grin about it but thats just me

I know that their are some people that want to say, well the germins did this. so they should pay and so on or this or that or another i wish all the people of the world could come together and see it like this.

people died here they were people from all over Europe. and if we traced are heritage back we are all related these people were and are part of are ancestry tree, let me ask you as a person would you like history to repeat itself becuse if we dont remember what has happend we will repeat it agen, also would any body refuse to put a flower on a dead relitives grave at least pay it respect, i would place that flower just becuse it was another humans grave,

So my anser to this is, yes ask people to pay a fee to entrance, after all the grounds that people were forced to live and they were beaten some to death, were talking about children that were in diapers some torn from their parents and familys, then left in the mud crying to have an ss man shut it up with a club,

These grounds are now hallowed sacred and people should be more than happy to pay a small fee in remembrance of them in fact you could call it a remembrance fee, i know i would and when i was walking thru my body would trembal for the mear thought of what had happend where i was now standing.

I also belive that there should be a charity drive each year thru out the world to ask people to send just one dollar to the memory of what went on at Auschwitz and the other camps near by and i belive people would send something, and each year the charity would receive more funds than the year before...

We must do this as a people so children all over the world will never let this happen agen.
whom ever did it to who and when are spesies did it to each other..
And if you don`t want to pay the entrence or visitors fee, you can show your disrespect at the gate insted of walking on hallowed ground and doing it, are relitives would not want it for the people who died and lived thru it or died trying to over come it.

i wish i could have done some thing to have stoped it.. but i was not even born yet but i have read and watched plenty on the subject and it breaks my hart to know my kind did this to each other and others still reject that it even happend ...

Michael Wilson 45 year old male united states .. grandfather was in the air force in world war 2
michael190t@hotmail

To be fair it was built by the poles before the germans borrowed it and the poles did the majority of the killing without the poles it would of been a few germans trying to herd the jews in polish people need to share some blame in the events that were allowed to happen and also the events after the war with poles taking over jewish houses and businesses and killing the returning jews but thats something polish people deny as it doesn;t sit well in there minds

Like in many african nations genocide continues regardless

the target has just moved away from the jews and now its anyone brown with oil or gas

*Yawn*

As for OP, no there should not be an entrance fee.

It was built by the Austrians as a barracks.