Encountering Auschwitz: touring the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum

Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, located on the former Nazi concentration and extermination camp sites, attracts millions of visitors annually. This study critically analyzes English-language guided tours at the museum, highlighting ethical concerns related to 'museumification' and dark tourism. It reveals that while these tours provide historical encounters, they also perpetuate certain tropes that may trivialize the site's grim history. The research employs qualitative analysis of tour narratives, offering insights into how contemporary tourism practices shape visitor experiences at one of Europe’s most significant Holocaust memorial sites.

Griffiths, C. (2018). Encountering Auschwitz: touring the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. Holocaust Studies, 25(1-2), 182–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/17504902.2018.1472881