Frankfurt (Oder) (CNN) – 3800 case, 40 kilograms of glasses, 80,000 shoes. Once they prisoners were in Auschwitz. They are symbol of the genocide and evil.
Restoration expert Beate Kozub said “The shoes are a symbol of Auschwitz”, in an interview with the News Agency dpa. The restoration of such and other legacy is always more advanced – parallel to the State of the art the political and financial conditions in recent years.
In her dissertation at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) the 44-year old has studied, as such finds in the former concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau can remain also future generations as a reminder.
«For me it is important that the use of these so-called negative cultural goods also in training for restorers is anchored», called Kozub. «As Restorer I would have the financial means, to get them.» The «negative cultural goods» include for example the around 3800 cases, 40 kilograms of glasses, and more than 80,000 shoes in the collection of the concentration camp Memorial in Poland. In Auschwitz, over a million people died under the Nazi terror.
The shoes as were been dusted in the 1970′s and equipped with a layer of fat. These have attracted however again dust in the course of time and make the shoes gray look. «Individual restoration» have started with the establishment of a restoration workshop 2003. Many shoes have again their color – and so visitors could see specimens now red and Brown. In some newspaper clippings and flyers were discovered.
Kozub pointed out that the exhibits in Auschwitz – world’s most important symbol of the Holocaust – were not merely a museum exhibits. “You are also supporting documents” – for the crimes of the Nazis. The appropriate restoration is as up-to-date as never before: last year, 1.4 million people had attended the Memorial, Kozub said.
In 2009, a new foundation for the preservation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial was founded. It should be created with the help of various States – also Germany – a 120-million euro Fund, said Kozub. Then could be up to EUR 5 million in interest for restoration purposes available.
«We want to maintain tolerance and peaceful coexistence in our society.» «It is all the more important to deal with the mistakes», Kozub said. While the authentic plays a large role. Until Wednesday the result of a survey by the Forsa Institute on behalf of the magazine «Star» was published, whereby every fifth young adults cannot do anything with the concept of Auschwitz.
The scientist of Polish and German descent further research at the Viadrina. You and your team want to find out how worldwide similar is in Auschwitz to the restoration and the handling of findings – such as civil wars.
