Majdanek: The Path of Remembrance
A walk through the former Nazi camp at Majdanek, from the Monument-Gate to the Mausoleum, following the usual visitor route.
Route map
Route stops
- 1Symbolic Pillar (Wiktor Tołkin Monument)
The Symbolic Pilón—also known as the Gate—forms the striking entrance to the Majdanek memorial monument, designed by sculptor and architect Wiktor Tołkin in collaboration with Janusz Dembek. This imposing structure measures 11 metres in height and 35 metres across, serving as the principal portal to the entire monument complex. Positioned atop a raised mound, it is accessed via a cascading flight of steps. What to see here sets the solemn tone for visitors approaching this significant historical site.
- 2Gas Chambers and Crematoria
The gas chambers and crematoriums at Majdanek are the camp's original extermination facilities, remarkably well-preserved following the swift Soviet advance that prevented their complete destruction. This represents one of the world's best-preserved examples of such installations. What to see here includes the authentic structures that document this dark chapter of history. The site receives approximately 240,000 visitors annually and stands as a significant memorial to those who perished.
- 3Exhibition Barracks
The exhibition barracks are historic structures from the former camp, now converted into museum spaces. Nine original buildings house the permanent exhibition 'Majdanek in the System of Concentration Camps', offering visitors a sobering account of life within the camp. The displays feature historical photographs, prisoners' personal belongings, original documentation, and reconstructions that convey the conditions inmates endured. What to see includes intimate artefacts that bear witness to this period of history.
- 4Shoe exhibition barrack
Barrack holding thousands of victims' shoes, one of the most moving spaces of the visit.
- 5Obelisk in Memory of the Jewish Victims of Erntefest
This obelisk monument stands within the grounds of the Majdanek State Museum in Lublin, erected in 2003 to commemorate the 18,000 Jews murdered on 3 November 1943 during Operation Erntefest. The memorial serves as a focal point for remembrance, specifically honouring the Jewish victims of this particular massacre. Alongside other monuments at the site, it provides visitors with a dedicated space for reflection on this dark chapter of the Holocaust.
- 6Crematorium
Preserved crematorium building at the far end of the site, next to the Mausoleum of ashes.
- 7Mausoleum of the Ashes of the Victims
The Mausoleum of Ashes of the Victims is a striking 14.5-metre-high monument, 35 metres in diameter, supported by three pillars. Beneath its domed structure lies a syenite-lined basin containing soil mixed with ashes and bone fragments from prisoners of the camp. Designed by Wiktor Tołkin and architect Janusz Dembek, this forms the focal point of the memorial complex, which opened in 1969. It stands as a solemn tribute to those who perished here.
