Auschwitz-Birkenau seen by Raymond Depardon

In 1979, Raymond Depardon, a renowned photographer and filmmaker, was sent by Paris Match to document the site of Auschwitz-Birkenau. What he discovered beneath the snow was a silent, frozen, almost unreal landscape. For two weeks, he captured in black and white the geometric immensity of the camp, its fences, its barracks, and the faint traces of human life: a forgotten dress, a solitary tree. These photographs, never before exhibited or published in their entirety, are finally being revealed to the public on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the Holocaust.

A sober and powerful exhibition

On display at the Shoah Memorial in Paris until 9 November 2025, the exhibition Auschwitz-Birkenau seen by Raymond Depardon offers a striking visual immersion. The photographs are projected onto seven walls, enveloping visitors in an atmosphere of contemplation. Admission is free, and the scenography, designed by Studio Adrien Gardère, provides a sober backdrop for the photographer's images.

Art in the service of memory

Depardon did not seek to illustrate horror, but to capture absence, silence and traces. His documentary approach, without staging, pays tribute to the victims without ever resorting to spectacle. These images, now preserved at the Shoah Memorial, are also available in a beautiful book co-published with Calmann-Lévy.

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