The cup, which was on display for 70 years at the Auschwitz Museum, has recently begun to decompose, revealing a secret hiding place inside. | April 9, 2025

History is sometimes full of mysteries that only reveal themselves over time. A simple everyday object can conceal a silent testimony, a buried memory. This is exactly what happened at the Auschwitz Museum, where a cup displayed for 70 years revealed a poignant secret.
A museum employee noticed an unusual detail: its bottom was beginning to crumble, revealing an unexpected hiding place. What he discovered inside plunges us directly into the mixed horror and hope of those who lived through this historical tragedy.

Hidden Objects: Hope in Horror

Nazi concentration camps were the scene of some of the worst atrocities in history. Stripped of their possessions and dignity, some inmates sometimes attempted to hide their most precious possessions, hoping to one day recover them. The goal was twofold: to preserve a part of their identity and, for some, to set aside gold or jewelry that might offer them a chance of survival in the event of an escape.

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