The Auschwitz Museum has begun an effort to preserve the shoes of children who died in the Holocaust.
The Polish institution, which is based in Oswiecim on the grounds of a former Nazi-operated Auschwitz camp, is currently starting its two-year mission to preserve 8,000 shoes of children murdered in gas chambers during World War 2.
Since May, the museum has processed 400 shoes and conserves about 100 shoes per week, according to AP News.
Within the conservation process, funded by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation and the International March of the Living, the children’s shoes are carefully cleaned in a laboratory with soft cloths. Once they’re cleaned, the footwear is scanned and photographed in a nearby room and then cataloged into the Museum’s database of objects.
The ultimate goal of the project is to show the shoes with as much accuracy as possible, regarding their state at the war’s end — and though it’s impossible to save them forever, the effort is being made to give them longevity.
Watch on FN
“Children’s shoes are the most moving object for me because there is no greater tragedy than the tragedy of children,” said Mirosław Maciaszczyk, a conservation specialist from the museum’s conservation laboratories. “A shoe is an object closely related to a person, to a child. It is a trace, sometimes it’s the only trace left of the child.”
According to the museum’s head of the collections, Elzbieta Cajzer, the shoes represent a small part of the larger toll of the Holocaust. The museum’s over 100,000 total shoes from the period likely came from only the final group of transported prisoners, and — in their current state where some are laid in large piles on display — show the horrific impact of the tragedy.
“We are able to imagine how many people came here, hoping that they would be able to put those shoes back on after a shower. They thought they would take their shoes back and keep using them. But they never returned to their owners,” said Cajzer.
About the Author:
Aaron Royce is the Assistant Digital Editor for Footwear News, where he writes stories on celebrity style, brand collaborations and in-depth profile interviews. As a day-to-night dresser, he favors boots, loafers and vintage-inspired denim that can be worn from the office to any number of after-hours soirées — particularly with a ‘90s grunge or punk rock-inspired twist. In his spare time, Royce enjoys reading, discovering New York’s secret gardens and hunting for the perfect pair of combat boots.
