A new life for a historic school building
July 2025
On our 25th anniversary, we won the tender to acquire the former Municipal School building next to our campus.
A place with history
The school opened in 1873, housing two separate elementary schools — for girls and for boys. In the interwar period, the girls’ school No. 1 was named after Queen Jadwiga and the boys’ school No. 2 after Łukasz Górnicki. Children of different faiths, both Jewish and Catholic, studied here.
During the German occupation, teachers from Oświęcim, including prewar teacher Jadwiga Marciniak, took part in clandestine teaching throughout the city. After the war, the school reopened, and in the 1945/46 school year over 300 girls attended classes there.
From rescue to new purpose
Our Foundation, which previously saved the house of Szymon Kluger — the last Jewish resident of Oświęcim — and the town’s only surviving historic synagogue, now plans to renovate this site while preserving its historical character. The building will be transformed into an educational, exhibition, and community space. Plans include state of the art classrooms, research facilities, an auditorium, a library, a restaurant and exhibitions on history of antisemitism and t Anne Frank.
For the town and its people
“We hope the new spaces will breathe more life into the Old Town, becoming a meeting point for residents and visitors alike, just as Café Bergson and the Jewish Museum have done.” says Foundation Director Tomasz Kuncewicz. The Foundation is now seeking partners and sponsors to support the project.
