The Auschwitz memorial commemorates more than one million Holocaust victims, but a TikTok video by a British visitor complaining about café prices and drink quality has provoked major backlash. The clip, viewed roughly four million times, criticised a watered-down smoothie, limited milk options and a £9 charge for two drinks. The museum clarified that the café is run by an external provider and reiterated the site’s educational and commemorative purpose. Critics called the focus on amenities at a death camp inappropriate and urged respectful preparation before visiting.
British TikToker’s Complaint About Auschwitz Café Prices Sparks Backlash
Having visited the death camp where more than 1 million people were murdered, a British tourist felt moved to complain about the price of a smoothie
The Auschwitz memorial stands as a solemn reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust and commemorates more than one million Jewish victims killed by the Nazis. A recent TikTok clip, however, provoked widespread criticism after a British visitor focused on the cost of refreshments at a café near the site.
The video, posted by a user who identifies herself as Lynne (handle: FreeSpirit666), has been viewed around four million times. In the clip, she complains about a strawberry smoothie that “tasted very watered down,” the lack of alternative milks and a reported £9 charge for two drinks. She advised viewers to “take a drink with you” when visiting and called the site “a money-making scheme.”
What Happened
In the recording Lynne says she and her family skipped coffee because the café did not offer decaf or plant-based alternatives. Her daughter Kerry described a lemonade that she said tasted like “toilet cleaner.” Lynne added practical advice for future visitors, noting that some tours can be long and that visitors are sometimes subject to security checks on entry.
Lynne also questioned whether it was right for Auschwitz to make money - Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Responses And Context
The post drew swift condemnation. Alex Hearn, co-director of Labour Against Antisemitism, told The Telegraph that reviewing a death camp by its amenities showed a worrying detachment from the site’s history: “Auschwitz is not a leisure destination to be reviewed on the value for money of its amenities.”
An Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum spokesman said the café lies outside the visitor services centre and is operated by an external provider, with prices clearly displayed. The museum emphasised that the essential purpose of the memorial is educational: people come to confront the fate of victims and to commemorate them.
Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, urged prospective visitors to prepare by reading survivor testimony—names she cited included Primo Levi and Elie Wiesel—so they understand the scale and human cost of the atrocities.
Historical Note
Built by the Nazis beginning in 1940, Auschwitz-Birkenau was a network of concentration and extermination camps where at least 1.1 million men, women and children were murdered or died from forced labour, starvation and disease. Prisoners commonly endured extreme deprivation and subsisted on minimal rations.
The incident has prompted wider discussion about appropriate behaviour at sites of remembrance and the responsibilities of visitors to show respect for victims and survivors. While practical concerns—such as hydration during lengthy tours—are understandable, many critics felt the social-media focus on prices at a death camp was insensitive.
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