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The Museum – Memorial Site in Bełżec was founded on June 3, 2004, as a branch of the Sate Museum at Majdanek in Lublin. The then president of the Republic of Poland, Aleksander Kwaśniewski, took part in the celebration of that event. For nearly 10 years, until the end of the year 2013, the Museum has been visited by over 300 thousand people, with foreign visitors consisting 20%.

One of the main responsibilities of the Museum – Memorial Site in Bełżec is documenting and commemorating the victims of the death camp in Bełżec. The permanent historical exhibition, which documents the history of the Bełżec camp and the extermination policy of the German occupation forces in the General Government, is presented by means of photographs and audiovisual materials. It is accompanied with temporary photography and documentary exhibitions. Among nine exhibitions prepared so far, a few of them were presented also outside the Museum. The mission of the Museum is also fulfilled i.a. by the project: “Every victim has its own name,” which started in 2004. It aims at gathering information about the victims. The Museum employees write down and record witness accounts concerning the period of the German occupation in the context of Jews extermination, particularly those concerning the death camp in Bełżec. In addition, the Museum’s activity concentrates on historical education and providing guide services. The main form of the education are museum classes, study stays, historical workshops for Polish, international and foreign groups, which are organized at the memorial site. The Museum cooperates with many schools, universities, museums, associations, other organizations and individuals from Poland and from abroad in its commemorative and educational activities. The Holocaust memorial which is situated at the Museum – Memorial Site in Bełżec is one of the most moving ones in Europe. The central part of the monument-cemetery is the hill with mass graves, which is cut through by a narrow road called Crevasse. Ohel Niche containing names of the victims is situated at the end of the Crevasse-Road, in a place where gas chambers were presumably located. A scientific conference “Art of Remembrance. Monumental Sculptures on Holocaust Sites in Poland” organized by the State Museum at Majdanek will take place at the Museum – Memorial Site in Bełżec on the 10th anniversary of its opening. The conference attempts to answer questions concerning meaning, symbolism, reception, and influence of commemorations located in the post-camp areas. The conference programme