The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation are looking to create a guided virtual tour of the Auschwitz Memorial, in order to provide educational value for people from around the world, as we continue to battle with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Working with mobile marketing analytics firm AppsFlyer and creative agency Diskin, immersive tour formats will be developed to provide virtual visitors with remote guided tours, making the Memorial accessible to anybody with an interest in the site and what it stands for. Both live and on-demand online tours will be available, all led by trained museum educators.

“In 2020, only 502,000 people visited the Auschwitz Memorial, nearly five times less than the year before. Due to the pandemic, last year we were forced to close the historical site to visitors for 161 days, and it still hasn’t opened this year,” said Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywi?ski, Director at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. “Whether it be through online virtual tours or onsite group tours, the Auschwitz Memorial and resources must always be available, accessible, and adaptable to all who attempt to comprehend it.

“The Voices from Auschwitz cannot be muted. In Auschwitz we can fully confront and address the most important questions about mankind, society, the poison of antisemitism, racial hatred and contempt towards others. Remembrance gives us strength to act responsibly and repair the world we live in, while making it better for our children and their children.”?

AppsFlyer will be responsible for funding and leading the program alongside the Museum and Foundation, while Diskin will take the creative lead.

“The tremendous consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic made it clear that innovative tools must be applied to bridge history with the present and respond to amplified needs of young generations,” said Wojciech Soczewica, Director-General at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. “That is why the Foundation decided to initiate educational programs to support the Memorial’s global mission. We’re extremely grateful for the unique and true partnership with the team at AppsFlyer. Working jointly in these challenging times proves that our common responsibility for history must always be based on mutual trust and understanding.”