Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away. This exhibition at Royal Ontario Museum (open until September 1, 2025) offers visitors a profound opportunity to engage with one of history's darkest chapters. It's a carefully curated exhibit that brings together hundreds of authentic artifacts, photographs, and personal stories that illuminate the horrors of the Holocaust and honor the memory of those who suffered. As you plan your Toronto visit, understanding what to expect from this powerful experience will help you appreciate its significance and educational value.
Inside the Not Long Ago. Not Far Away. Exhibit
The Auschwitz exhibit typically takes visitors between 90 minutes to two hours to explore thoroughly, though many guests choose to spend additional time reflecting on the powerful content. The exhibition provides a comprehensive yet accessible walkthrough of this complex historical subject. While the exhibit contains sensitive material, it is designed to be educational rather than sensationalistic, making it appropriate for mature children accompanied by adults who can provide context and support.
What This Powerful Exhibition Covers
The Auschwitz exhibit presents a chronological journey through the development of Nazi ideology, the implementation of the "Final Solution," and the liberation of the camps. Through carefully selected artifacts and testimonials, visitors gain insight into how Auschwitz-Birkenau became the epicenter of the Holocaust. The exhibition illuminates not only the systematic persecution and murder of Jewish people but also the targeting of other groups, including Roma, Polish intellectuals, political prisoners, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
The Immersive Experience for Visitors
Walking through the exhibition spaces, visitors encounter thoughtfully designed environments that convey the gravity of historical events while maintaining respect for victims. Audio guides provide additional context, featuring survivor testimonials that bring human voices to the artifacts on display. The exhibition's pacing allows moments for reflection, with seating areas available throughout for those who need time to process the emotional content.
Key Artifacts Shown
The exhibition features over 700 original objects and 400 photographs from more than 20 institutions and museums worldwide. These carefully preserved items serve as tangible connections to history, helping visitors comprehend the reality of events that might otherwise seem distant or abstract.
Personal Belongings, Transport Relics, and Nazi Documents
Among the most moving displays are everyday personal items — shoes, eyeglasses, suitcases, and children's toys — that belonged to those sent to Auschwitz. Transportation artifacts include an actual German freight car similar to those used to transport prisoners to the camps. Official Nazi documents and camp records reveal the bureaucratic machinery behind the genocide, while architectural elements like concrete fence posts from Auschwitz II-Birkenau bring visitors face-to-face with the physical structure of the death camp.
Stories Behind Notable Artifacts
Each artifact in the exhibition carries its own poignant story. A child's shoe with a sock still tucked inside speaks to families torn apart. A prisoner's striped uniform bears witness to the dehumanization of inmates. These objects are displayed with great care and contextualized with information about their owners when known, preserving individual identities within the larger historical narrative.
Auschwitz and Its Lasting Impact
The exhibition goes beyond simply documenting historical events. It encourages visitors to consider their present-day relevance and the ongoing importance of confronting hatred and prejudice.
Historical Context of Auschwitz-Birkenau
Auschwitz-Birkenau operated from 1940 to 1945 in Nazi-occupied Poland, eventually becoming the largest and most lethal of the Nazi concentration and death camps. The exhibition explains how the camp complex expanded over time, evolving from a concentration camp primarily for Polish political prisoners into the main site for the industrialized murder of European Jews. Understanding this progression helps visitors grasp how such atrocities became possible within modern society.
The Holocaust's Lasting Lessons
The exhibit's conclusion emphasizes the Holocaust's enduring significance for contemporary society. By examining how prejudice can escalate to genocide when left unchallenged, the exhibition prompts reflection on current social and political dynamics. Testimonials from survivors highlight themes of resilience and the importance of bearing witness to history, encouraging visitors to consider their own responsibilities in preventing future atrocities.
The lessons of the Holocaust have gained renewed urgency in recent decades as we've witnessed other genocides and mass atrocities that followed similar patterns of dehumanization, scapegoating, and systematic violence. From Rwanda and the Bosnian genocide of the 1990s to the rise of antisemitism across North America and Europe in the 21st century, each of these tragedies began with rhetoric that separated "us" from "them" and culminated in violence. These patterns mirror the incremental process that led to the Holocaust, demonstrating how quickly society can fall apart when warning signs are ignored.
As first hand witnesses of the Holocaust age and pass away, exhibitions like the one at ROM take on even greater significance as repositories of memory and warning. Through testimonials from survivors integrated throughout the exhibit, visitors encounter themes of resilience and the moral imperative of bearing witness — encouraging everyone to consider their own responsibility in preventing future atrocities by recognizing and confronting prejudice in its earliest stages.
Plan Your Visit to ROM With CityPASS® Tickets
Visiting Royal Ontario Museum with Toronto CityPASS® tickets offers excellent value for travelers exploring the city's cultural treasures. Your CityPASS® tickets will give you general admission to ROM, but you can purchase admission to special exhibits like Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. at the Admissions Desk.
Allow ample time to explore both the Auschwitz exhibit and other museum highlights. The emotional nature of the exhibition may leave you wanting quieter moments afterward, so planning accordingly will enhance your overall experience.
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Header Image © Sam Javanrouh/Royal Ontario Museum