Mission
The International Youth Meeting Centre in Oświęcim is an extracurricular educational institution established by the Action Reconciliation Service for Peace and the City of Oświęcim with the support of former Auschwitz prisoners.
Based on historical facts, the IYMC works to preserve the memory of the Second World War and the Holocaust.
Based on the historical importance and symbolism of the former concentration and extermination camp, it realizes the pedagogical concept of "Auschwitz as a place of learning”.
Located between the city of Oświęcim and the former Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp, the International Youth Meeting Centre is an excellent place where, under the care of experienced educators, a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Site can be prepared and subsequently summarized.
A spacious garden, bright seminar rooms, a well-equipped library and a complex of free-standing, light, one-story residential pavilions offer a wide space for meeting and reflection.
A varied program of workshops on history, art, and contemporary issues encourages visitors to reflect deeply on fundamental questions.
The task of the IYMC is to prepare young people for committed action against racism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of exclusion, and to strengthen their attitudes to courageously defend civil and human rights, peace, equality, and social justice.
The IYMC is a place of intergenerational meetings, a forum for the exchange of ideas, understanding between nations, and dialogue across cultural and social borders.