Musealia, a global leader in the creation of touring exhibitions, has announced that Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away., created with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, will be free for visitors to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) and will run for two and a half years.
USHMM in Washington, D.C. is America’s national memorial to the Holocaust, and one of the world’s leading institutions dedicated to Holocaust education and remembrance. The exhibition opening there in 2027 marks a significant milestone in its international journey.
Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away. features an unmatched collection of original artefacts from the Auschwitz Memorial and over 20 global institutions and private collections. Many of these items have seldom been displayed in the United States.
It is the only exhibition to gather such a wide array of authentic materials related to Auschwitz—the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp complex, where more than 1.1 million people were killed from 1940 to 1945.
The importance of historical understanding
Hosting the exhibition at the USHMM situates this body of evidence within a distinguished institutional setting. In an era where historical understanding is not guaranteed, the exhibition provides a vital and impactful addition to public awareness.
“We can’t bring our visitors to Auschwitz,” says Sara J. Bloomfield, director of USHMM, “but through this exhibition, we can bring a sense of Auschwitz to them in a deeply tangible way.”
Luis Ferreiro, director and CEO of Musealia, says: “Auschwitz confronts us with pain, loss, and the deepest rupture in human history. But memory cannot rest on emotion alone; it must also help us understand how such crimes became possible.
"Only through that understanding can memory serve a meaningful purpose in the present and future. Bringing this exhibition to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is both an extraordinary honor and a profound responsibility.”
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
During its run, Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away. will function as the Museum’s main exhibition while the new permanent display is being built.
“Presenting this exhibition at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum represents the culmination of decades of close cooperation," continues Ferreiro.
"We are grateful to our colleagues in Washington, D.C., under the leadership of Sara Bloomfield, and we are pleased that the exhibition will support the Museum’s mission during this important period.”
See also: Beyond objects: how Musealia creates exhibitions with meaning & purpose
The exhibition’s run in Washington arrives amid increasing urgency. Research indicates notable gaps in Holocaust understanding among younger Americans, while antisemitism and Holocaust denial grow.
In this setting, 'Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away.' provides a vital experience: direct interaction with genuine evidence—artefacts, testimonies, and historical background—that reveal not just what occurred, but also how and why.
Since its debut, the exhibition has toured major cities across Europe and the United States, attracting millions of visitors. Its new location in Washington, D.C., offers a unique chance for audiences to experience this history within a significant institutional setting—and, for the first time, to do so without an admission fee.
This ensures that the story of Auschwitz is accessible to the millions of visitors who visit the nation’s capital annually.
Last month, Musealia also announced that The Berlin Wall: A World Divided will open at Union Station Kansas City, in May. This opening marks the exhibition's North American debut and the beginning of its tour of the US and Canada.
