Oswiecim is an old town, the origins of which can be traced back to the 12th century. The preserved relics and the traces of history give a unique character to the town. The eight-hundred-year old history of Oswiecim includes the tragic moments. During the II World War, the Germans built in Oswiecim the biggest extermination camp in the history of mankind - the KL Auchwitz-Birkenau, where approximately 1.1 - 1.5 million victims were killed. It was an inconceivable tragedy, the biggest evil ever done by men to men. That is why, the KL Auschwitz-Birkenau must be a warning and an appeal for respect for fundamental values: the right to live, to be free and to have dignity. The memory of what happened at the KL Auschwitz - Birkenau during the II World War and the museum in its area, has become a starting point of constructive thinking about the future.