Prevention of SARS-COV-2 coronavirus spread at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland. The most visited Memorial site in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: At the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum (A-BSM) actions have been undertaken to effectively protect employees and minimise risk of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus spreading from the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic. AIM OF THE ARTICLE: The aim was to present the actions, instructions and procedures introduced at the A-BSM to provide information how to deal with pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in institutions taking care of cultural heritage before and after closure of the Museum for visitors and after reopening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The described activities were developed at the Museum by a specially established Expert Team. RESULTS: Groups of employees and places in which they were most exposed to contact with visitors and, as a consequence, at the highest risk of getting infected, were characterised. The employees were provided with personal protective equipment, and at the Museum site, devices essential for maintaining the microbiological cleanliness of the rooms, were placed. In the next stage, instructions and procedures for particular groups of employees were prepared. Visitors were educated about the need of taking precautions and were allowed to disinfect in several places at the Memorial Site. Steps to reduce attendance at this time has also been taken. Procedures for employees of the A-BSM were developed in such way that they can also be used after reopening of the Museum for visitors. CONCLUSIONS: The actions which ensured the microbiological safety of the A-BSM employees, brought satisfying results. In more than 21 days after closing of the Museum for visitors, no cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 were found among employees, despite a very high threat.

Guns, germs, and public history: A conversation with Jennifer Tucker.

In this wide-ranging conversation, historians David Serlin (UC San Diego) and Jennifer Tucker (Wesleyan University) discuss the role of material culture and visual media in shaping how museums communicate histories of science and technology. Tucker describes recent a public history project focused on 19th-century histories of firearms and gun regulation in light of contemporary debates about the Second Amendment "right to bear arms." Serlin and Tucker conclude by speculating about possible curatorial directions for a future public history exhibit focused on the social and cultural impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020.