Outrage over shopping and office complex built on land adjoining Auschwitz

A shopping and office complex will open near the former concentration camp at Auschwitz next month. However, construction of the commercial center and its accompanying parking lot has caused outrage among people who wish to preserve the environment surrounding the death camp. Defending the project, Janusz Marszalek, whose company Maja is developing the property, points out that the complex will be located outside of the area where development is prohibited. "I don't need permission there," he said, and went on, "More will follow, after a new, and maybe better, voivod holds the position." Marszalek owns 25,000 square meters of land around Auschwitz, some of which is situated within the prohibited area. The company has already applied for permission to start business activities in the prohibited area, but the application was turned down by the Malopolska voivod. (Rzeczpospolita, Aug 19-20, p. A3) A.Z