The Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum in Poland launched a groundbreaking and controversial project this year: a 100% faithful digital replica of the Auschwitz I camp, brick by brick, to be used as a set for films, series, and educational projects
Called “Picture from Auschwitz,” the model was presented at the Cannes Film Festival and is already available to producers worldwide.
For decades, the museum prohibited any filming of feature films inside the actual camp.
Not even Steven Spielberg obtained permission to shoot scenes from “Schindler’s List” (1993) on the original site – he had to build replicas outside the gates.
Now, the memorial itself has reversed the logic: instead of taking cameras to the camp, it takes the camp (in digital version) to the cameras.
The virtual set uses giant LED walls and artificial intelligence, technology already used in productions like “The Mandalorian.” This allows actors to “enter” Auschwitz without leaving the studio, with perfectly realistic lighting, atmosphere, and perspective.
Why did the museum decide to do this?
Those responsible explain that the number of Holocaust survivors decreases each year and, at the same time, research shows that denial and ignorance about the genocide are growing among younger generations.
For the director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, Wojciech Soczewica, films and series continue to be one of the most powerful ways to keep the memory alive:
“Each digital brick represents real lives lost – children, workers, thousands of interrupted stories.
This project is not just an image: it is a vessel of memory and testimony.”
Maciej ?emojcin, the technical manager responsible for the 3D model, used state-of-the-art scanners and worked side-by-side with museum historians to ensure total accuracy.
“Filming in this virtual Auschwitz allows us to tell the story with 100% authenticity of the place,” he says.
Criticisms and risks
Not everyone applauded the idea.
Academics and Holocaust memory experts point out dangers:
– With the explosion of AI-generated fake images on the internet (including invented photos of Auschwitz that have already circulated even among famous influencers), such a perfect digital model could end up being misused or manipulated.
– Researcher Emily-Rose Baker, from the University of Southampton, warns: “Technology does not guarantee ethical use.
On the contrary, it raises questions about how far the digitization of the Holocaust can go along with respectful remembrance.”
– She also criticizes the fact that the project gives even more prominence to Auschwitz, already the best-known camp, while massacres in villages, forests and other locations in Eastern Europe, where almost no physical trace remains, continue to be less remembered.
A recent study published in the journal AI and Ethics showed that teenagers and young adults trust AI-generated Holocaust content consumed on TikTok and Instagram more than older generations.
For them, the important thing is that the story gets across; for older generations, the emotion is only genuine when it comes from real witnesses.
What’s next?
Despite the criticism, the museum is already receiving requests from all over the world – not only from filmmakers, but also from creators of educational projects and even virtual reality experiences.
Pawel Sawicki, responsible for the memorial’s social media, says the interest has surprised him:
“We thought it would only be for film, but we are seeing that the potential is much greater.?
For now, only Auschwitz I is ready.
The Birkenau death camp (Auschwitz II) will still be modeled in the coming years.
The project raises a difficult question: in an increasingly digital world, how do we preserve the memory of something so terrible without risking trivializing or distorting it? For the Auschwitz Museum, the answer is to use technology itself to keep the story alive and accurate.
For critics, the remedy may end up being part of the problem.
The debate is only just beginning.
Published in 11/22/2025 19h27
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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