In an era increasingly shaped by digital narratives and algorithm-driven content, the question of historical truth has taken on renewed urgency. “Archive or Algorithm?” – the words of Dr. Jane Williams-Boock, Rector of Touro University Berlin – capture a defining challenge of our time: ensuring that the memory of the Holocaust is taught with integrity, not distorted by misinformation or diluted by digital noise.
Against this backdrop, Touro University Berlin experienced a landmark initiative, the first-ever virtual tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation to be hosted at the institution. More than a technological milestone, the project represents a profound commitment to safeguarding memory in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
The initiative was set in motion by H.E. Lorenzo Ravano, Ambassador of the Principality of Monaco to Germany.
“The initiative “Auschwitz: In front of your eyes”, which the Principality of Monaco has been supporting since the very beginning, is more than a virtual tour… it is a unique interactive opportunity to discover some sections of the camps that are not possible to visit on site, and to be immersed in one of the darkest pages of our modern history,” – explains Ambassador Ravano.
His Excellency Ambassador Lorenzo Ravano with his wife, Claudia.
A high-level meeting convened upon the invitation of H.E. Lorenzo Ravano in Berlin, among those present were Wojtek Soczewica, Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, and Jean-Laurent Imbert, Counsellor at the Embassy, alongside academic leaders and researchers from Touro University Berlin.
“The Touro University Berlin is the only University in Europe to offer a Master’s program in Holocaust. That is why I proposed to organize a high-level meeting there. But I am also proud that my Country (Monaco) has decided to integrate such a tour for all the students of Monaco as part of their school program,” – says Ambassador Ravano.
The dialogue reflected a shared understanding: that the responsibility of remembrance must evolve alongside the tools through which information is consumed.
Featuring left to right: Director of Auschwitz Birkenau Foundation, Rector Jane Williams-Boock H. E. Lorenzo Ravano, Ms. Claudia Ravano, Mr. Yoni Cohen, Mr. Manouchehr Shamsrizi, Advisor to the German Foreign Office on Gaming Affairs, Prof. Larisa Buhin-Krenek; It was an amazing tour that we experienced at our Touro Berlin University campus with Rector Jane Williams-Boock, students, faculty and friends commemorating Shoa remembrance week. Initiated and supported by the Embassy of the Principality of Monaco Berlin, Ambassador H. E. Lorenzo Ravano and his wife Claudia, facilitated by the director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, Wojtek Soczewica. They had the honor to welcome our distinguished guests Victoria Robinson Roberts, Chief of staff for Education and Cultural Affairs from Washington with her team, Ambassador Michaela Küchler, Secretary General International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
Education Beyond the Classroom
At the heart of this initiative lies a powerful objective, to bring the reality of Auschwitz-Birkenau into the digital space without losing its authenticity.
The virtual tour is designed not merely as a visual experience, but as an educational platform, one that enables students and audiences worldwide to engage with history in a meaningful and structured way. It seeks to bridge the gap between physical memory sites and modern learning environments, ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust remain accessible to future generations.
“This topic is pressing now more than ever: the memory of the Shoah must outlive its survivors. I hope that the students will feel involved, moved and even horrified, that they will try to imagine, that they will reflect and understand why we should all stand united in shouting “never again”,” – says Ambassador Ravano.
The program is further strengthened by the academic expertise within Touro University Berlin and its partners. Leading Holocaust scholars, including Peter Klein and Stephan Lehnstaedt, contribute their research and pedagogical insight, ensuring historical accuracy and depth.
Featuring right to left: H.E. Ambassador Lorenzo Ravano, Rüdiger Mahlo European Representative of World Claims Conference, Ms. Victoria Roberts, Chief of Staff for Education and Cultural Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs, US Government, Washington & Rector JWB.
The collaboration extends to Freie Universität Berlin, under the leadership of Günter M. Ziegler, reinforcing the academic rigour of the initiative.
At the same time, the program integrates groundbreaking work from the field of psychology. Researchers such as Larisa Buhin and Özen Odag focus on combating antisemitism in digital environments, particularly on social media platforms where narratives can be manipulated, amplified, or misrepresented.
Their work addresses one of the most pressing challenges of our time: how to counter hate and misinformation in an ecosystem driven by algorithms.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation has taken a decisive step forward by embracing digital tools as a means of education and prevention.
Through initiatives like the virtual tour, the Foundation seeks to confront Holocaust denial and antisemitism not only in traditional academic settings, but within the very platforms where misinformation often spreads. This approach recognises a fundamental shift: history is no longer accessed solely through books or physical sites, but through screens, feeds, and digital interactions.
To preserve truth in this context requires innovation, without compromising authenticity.
Planning the first Virtual Tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation ever at Touro University Berlin, where students of 50 nations are prepared for a successful future. Upon invitation of H. E. Lorenzo Ravano, Ambassador of Monaco the director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation Mr. Wojtek Soczewica and the rector of Touro University Berlin Dr. Jane Williams-Boock met to plan this meaning and impactful event at Touro Berlin University, especially highlighting the research of our Holocaust Institute with Dean Prof. Peter Klein, Mr. Bernd Williams-Boock, Mr Jean Laurent Imbert.
Holocaust: Core Facts & Numbers
- Europe had about 9.5 million Jews in 1933, but the Holocaust destroyed the majority of this centuries-old population.
- Approximately 6 million Jews were murdered by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1941–1945. This represented about two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population.
- Deportations began in 1941 and intensified in 1942–1944, and they were disguised as “resettlement in the East”.
- ~1.53 million Jews deported to Operation Reinhard camps (Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka).
- ~1.1 million Jews deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
- ~440,000 Hungarian Jews deported in just a few months in 1944.
- >2 million Jews removed from ghettos between 1942–1944.
Estimated Jewish deaths at major Killing Centers (Extermination Camps - Industrialized genocide):
- Auschwitz-Birkenau: ~1,000,000
- Treblinka: ~925,000
- Belzec: ~435,000
- Sobibor: ~167,000
- Chelmno: ~152,000
Total: ~2.7 million murdered in killing centers alone, at Auschwitz specifically 1.3 million deported, ~900,000 killed immediately upon arrival
Survival Rates:
- Operation Reinhard camps: fewer than 500 survivors
- Auschwitz: About 100,000 survived (mainly selected for labor)
- 75% of Dutch Jews murdered
Germany-Specific Data:
- ~522,000 Jews lived in Germany in 1933
- ~304,000 emigrated before WWII
- ~160,000–180,000 German Jews were murdered
Monaco in 1945.
A Responsibility for the Future
“Archive or Algorithm?” is not merely a question. It is a call to action.
It challenges institutions, educators, and societies to decide how history will be transmitted in the years to come. Will it remain anchored in verified archives, or risk being reshaped by the mechanics of digital platforms?
The initiative at Touro University Berlin offers a compelling answer: that the two can coexist, if guided by responsibility, scholarship, and purpose.
Conclusion: Preserving Truth, Shaping Tomorrow
In bringing the Auschwitz-Birkenau experience into the digital sphere, this project represents more than innovation. It is an act of preservation. An affirmation that memory must not only be kept, but actively protected.
That education must not only inform, but also safeguard, and that in a world increasingly influenced by algorithms, the archive must remain the foundation of truth. Because the lessons of history are not only about the past. They are about the future we choose to build.
To learn more or contribute to this mission, please visit: https://www.auschwitz.org/en/foundation/donate/