A HOUSE TO LIVE
A PLACE TO LEARN

We are in the town of Oświęcim to remind about Auschwitz. To convince, that we must learn from the past. We show that Oświęcim can be a place of meetings, reconciliation, and understanding. We are in the town of Oświęcim so that Auschwitz will not be repeated.

Remembering Queer People (LGBTIQ+) in Auschwitz

From July 19 to 25, 2026, the International Youth Meeting Centre (IJBS/MDSM) hosted an intensive seminar in Oświęcim and Krakow on the history of National Socialism and the Holocaust. The program focused on the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp as a site of persecution for various victim groups—primarily Jewish victims, but also Poles, Roma and Sinti, and others.

A central element was the workshop “Queer People in Auschwitz,” where participants explored the fates of LGBTIQ+ individuals persecuted under the Nazi regime and examined the long-term consequences of this persecution, which did not end in 1945.

Connecting this historical analysis with contemporary perspectives allowed for a deep discussion on key challenges: countering discrimination, hate speech, and violence against LGBTIQ+ people, as well as European fundamental rights standards and mechanisms supporting equality, dignity, and safety.

The project contributes to strengthening civic engagement and promoting shared European values—combating antisemitism and anti-Gypsyism, non-discrimination, equality, and respect for human rights.

Organized by: International Youth Meeting Centre in Oświęcim (IJBS / MDSM) and Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ASF / Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste).

Funded by the European Union under the CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) program.

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. 

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