The Kazerne Dossin Museum in Mechelen is modernising its permanent exhibition, which has remained unchanged for 20 years, with plans to unveil the new display by 2030.
The renovation will cost €7 million, €4.2 million of which is funded by the Flemish government. While the transformation is underway, the current exhibition remains open, and no temporary exhibits are planned.
Museum director Tomas Baum emphasised the need to keep telling the story of the Holocaust but with a modern approach.
He stated the new exhibition must resonate with today’s audience and remain relevant over the next decade. He also highlighted plans to make the museum more accessible for disabled visitors without requiring special measures.
The revamped exhibition will maintain a focus on the role of the Dossin barracks as a “holding area” for Auschwitz while examining the human dimension of the tragedy. It will spotlight the mechanisms and logistics behind the Holocaust and the inhuman actions carried out by humans.
The museum also aims to educate visitors on approaching history critically and recognising the importance of human rights, Baum added.
The museum hopes to attract 90,000 annual visitors, up from its current figure of 70,000.
Auschwitz was liberated on 27 January 1945, a date later designated by the United Nations as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
