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The Kulmhof Exhibition in Berlin opened

The Kulmhof Exhibition in Berlin opened

Yesterday (7th December 2011) in the Centrum Judaicum at Oranienburger Strasse in Berlin we opened the exhibition "Kulmhof - Das Unbekannte Vernichtungslager (Kulmhof – The Unknown Extermination Camp)”. This is the very first on Kulmhof extermination camp. The exhibition is opened for visitors from today until the end of February 2012.

The exhibition was opened by Mr Ralf Wieland (Prasident des Abgeordnetenhauses von Berlin) and Prof. Wolfgang Benz.

"Kulmhof - Das Unbekannte Vernichtungslager (Kulmhof – The Unknown Exterminnation Camp)” - this is the very first exhibition, anywhere in the world specifically to cover the history of Chelmno (named Kulmhof under the Nazis). Over 150,000 people mainly Jews were killed in Chelmno between 1941 and 1944.

The exhibition was opened on very important day - the 70th anniversary of the first gassing operation in Chelmno. But this extermanition site has not received the full attention of scholars outside of Poland with few published works on the subjects. Cameron Munro and Artur Hojan of the Tiergartenstrasse4 Association have been working on a book on Chelmno that is to be published in May 2012. In our opinion Arthur Greiser and the administration of the Warthegau warrants significant research by Western scholars. The reasons in our opinion that Chelmno warrants its own exhibition:

It was the first death camp; beginning operations on December 7th 1941

It was the only death camp to use gas vans to murder people

It was the first camp to use open air mass cremations to dispose of bodies

Chelmno was a testing ground for extermination. Staff from other camps including Rudolf Höss from Auschwitz and Christian Wirth from the Aktion Reinhardt camps came to see how it was done.

The camp was set up in the middle of a village, utilising existing buildings and where the residents still lived during the operation of the death camp. The Palace camp where gassings took place was but 250 meters from the village school which operated during the existence of the death camp. How could anyone in the village fail to see what was going on?

Chelmno is located in the Warthegau in what is Western Poland. This area was incorporated into Greater Germany by the Nazis. The Gauleiter Artur Greiser was a personal friend of Himmler. Greiser was pushing for a solution to the Jewish problem in his area from June 1941 and it is no surprise that the extermination of non Soviet Jews started in the Warthegau.

We would like to thank the fantastic organisations and people who have put together this very timely exhibition:

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews Of Europe specifically Uwe Neumärker and Dr Ulrich Baumann.

Also Dagmar Von Wilcken who designed the exhibition.

Paritaetischer Berlin specifically Mr Reinald Purmann for his support and introductions.

Centrum Judaicum in Berlin for hosting the exhibition, specifically Mr Hermann Simon and Mr Andre Lossin

The German-Russian Museum in Berlin-Karlshorst, led by Mr Jörg Morré, and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Mr Bernd Neumann, for financial contribution.

The Institute of National Remembrance in Poznan specifically Dr Robert Reczek and Rafal Koscianski for their aid in accessing the Polish files on Chelmno.

Dr Ingo Loose from the Institut Für Zeitgeschichte in Munich for writing the text for the exhibition.

The exhibition was opened by Mr Ralf Wieland (Prasident des Abgeordnetenhauses von Berlin) and Prof. Wolfgang Benz.
"Kulmhof - Das Unbekannte Vernichtungslager (Kulmhof – The Unknown Extermination Camp)” - this is the very first exhibition, anywhere in the world specifically to cover the history of Chelmno (named Kulmhof under the Nazis). Over 150,000 people mainly Jews were killed in Chelmno between 1941 and 1944.

The exhibition was opened on very important day - the 70th anniversary of the first gassing operation in Chelmno. But this extermanition site has not received the full attention of scholars outside of Poland with few published works on the subjects. Cameron Munro and Artur Hojan of the Tiergartenstrasse4 Association have been working on a book on Chelmno that is to be published in May 2012. In our opinion Arthur Greiser and the administration of the Warthegau warrants significant research by Western scholars. The reasons in our opinion that Chelmno warrants its own exhibition:
- It was the first death camp; beginning operations on December 7th 1941;
- It was the only death camp to use gas vans to murder people;
- It was the first camp to use open air mass cremations to dispose of bodies
- Chelmno was a testing ground for extermination. Staff from other camps including Rudolf Höss from Auschwitz and Christian Wirth from the Aktion Reinhardt camps came to see how it was done;
- The camp was set up in the middle of a village, utilising existing buildings and where the residents still lived during the operation of the death camp. The Palace camp where gassings took place was but 250 meters from the village school which operated during the existence of the death camp. How could anyone in the village fail to see what was going on?
- Chelmno is located in the Warthegau in what is Western Poland. This area was incorporated into Greater Germany by the Nazis. The Gauleiter Artur Greiser was a personal friend of Himmler. Greiser was pushing for a solution to the Jewish problem in his area from June 1941 and it is no surprise that the extermination of non Soviet Jews started in the Warthegau.

One aspect that should not be forgotten and needs urgent attention is the current condition of the Chelmno site. The Chelmno memorial is administered by the Konin Museum. They have little money but do a wonderful job given their limited resources both in maintaining the sites and undertaking research. However the on site museum does do not do justice to the importance of Chelmno. In addition, the remnants of the palace and forest camp may start to decay without on-going works. The palace site the location of the gassings was excavated some years ago and the site is open to the elements. Similarly the remnants of the crematoriums in the forest camp.

We would like to thank the fantastic organisations and people who have put together this very timely exhibition:
- The Memorial to the Murdered Jews Of Europe specifically Mr Uwe Neumärker and Dr Ulrich Baumann;
- Also Dagmar Von Wilcken who designed the exhibition;
- Paritaetischer Berlin specifically Mr Reinald Purmann for his support and introductions;
- Centrum Judaicum in Berlin for hosting the exhibition, specifically Mr Hermann Simon and Mr Andre Lossin
- The German-Russian Museum in Berlin-Karlshorst, led by Mr Jörg Morré, and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Mr Bernd Neumann, for financial contribution
- The Institute of National Remembrance in Poznan specifically Dr Robert Reczek and Rafal Koscianski for their aid in accessing the Polish files on Chelmno;
- Dr Ingo Loose from the Institut Für Zeitgeschichte in Munich for writing the text for the exhibition.

Our exhibition is promoted inter alia on the pages:
- Die Welt (http://www.welt.de/kultur/history/article13754083/Die-erste-Mordfabrik-der-Nazis-stand-in-Kulmhof.html)
- Museumsportal Berlin (http://www.museumsportal-berlin.de/ausstellungen/exhibition-details/kulmhof.html)
- Bildung Server Berlin Brandenburg (http://bildungsserver.berlin-brandenburg.de/2475.html)
- on very official Berlin city web page (http://www.berlin.de/tickets/suche/detail.php?id=583552)
- Berliner Morgenpost (http://www.morgenpost.de/web-wissen/article1849642/Die-erste-Mordfabrik-der-Nazis-stand-in-Kulmhof.html)

You can also listen to the radio program "Erinnerung an das Vernichtungslager Kulmhof" produced by WDR 3 station which includes an interview with Mr Cameron Munro:
http://www.wdr3.de/resonanzen-weltweit/details/artikel/wdr-3-resonanzen-weltweit-70.html