POLISH CITIZENS IN POLISH CITIZENS IN KL AUSCHWITZ KL AUSCHWITZ HALINA BIRENBAUM BATSZEWA DAGAN Was born in 1929 in Warsaw, survived the Warsaw the war, she emigrated to Israel. She is a writer Born in 1925 in Łódź as Izabella Rubinstein. She gether with other female prisoners she was evac- ghetto. Her father was taken to Treblinka and and a poet. She is the author of the following fled from her hometown with her parents and uated to Ravensbrück and to Malchow. On 2 May, murdered there. She, together with her mother books: Hope is the Last to Die, Return to the fore- siblings to Radom when Germans entered Łódź. 1945, she was freed by the British Army. After lib- and sister-in-law, was transferred to the camp fathers’ land, Each regained day, Call for remem- She got involved in a secret youth organisation eration, she moved to Palestine, where together in Majdanek in Lublin, where her mother died. brance, Remote and close echoes – meeting the Hashomer Hacair whilst at the ghetto in Radom. with her husband Paul she changed her name to Then, Halina Birenbaum was taken to Auschwitz- youth and a collection of poems. Halina Biren- Part of her responsibility there was to travel to the Dagan. She is the author of publications for chil- -Birkenau, subsequently to Ravensbrück and baum meets the youth in Israel, Poland, Germany, Warsaw ghetto from where she smuggled the dren and youth used in teaching about the Holo- Neustadt-Glewe, were she was liberated. After Italy, as well as in other countries. “Pod Prąd” magazine to Radom. In 1942, she es- caust: What happened during the Holocaust: caped from Radom ghetto and used false docu- Rhymed tale for children who want to know, Czika, ments to travel to Germany. After several months, the Dog in the Ghetto, If stars could talk. A collec- she was arrested and sent to Auschwitz, where tion of poems Imagination: Blessed Be, Cursed be: she stayed until the beginning of 1945, when to- Reminiscences from There. The evil of Auschwitz, unconscious and unexplored that smoulders undisturbed, returns Life is a one-time gift! Sorrows come uninvited, but you can create joys by yourself in increasing terrorism, anti-Semitism and racism that evolve into scenes of public, and try anew every day. In the era in which we live, interpersonal communication unpunished decapitation of humans in the eyes of the entire world, only because has weakened due to inventions of new media. these people are different. I am terrified when I look at the surrounding world. Just remember! Smartphones cannot replace friendship and love between people! I say to myself that if Auschwitz could have thrived legally and unpunished Enjoy what can be enjoyed, and do not give in to bad thoughts. for so many years, then everything, even the worst thing, is possible. The sun comes out after each thunderstorm. You cannot be astonished but you must recognise in time, counteract and prevent further tragedies, anarchy and crime. Batszewa Dagan Auschwitz Survivor Halina Birenbaum Auschwitz Survivor Recommended literature: Recommended literature: If you want to learn more about the Heroes of the lesson, you can read their If you want to learn more about the Heroes of the lesson, you can read their memoirs: memoirs: • Czesław Kempisty, Survive a day. Memoirs from the years 1941–1951, Wrocław 1989 • Czesław Kempisty, Survive a day. Memoirs from the years 1941–1951, Wrocław 1989 • Bogdan Bartnikowski, Childhood in a striped uniform, Oświęcim 2016 • Bogdan Bartnikowski, Childhood in a striped uniform, Oświęcim 2016 • Rutka Laskier, Journal, ed. Adam Szydłowski, Będzin 2008 • Rutka Laskier, Journal, ed. Adam Szydłowski, Będzin 2008 • Marian Turski, My happiest day, Oświęcim 2011 • Marian Turski, My happiest day, Oświęcim 2011 TASK: TASK: My afterthoughts: My afterthoughts: .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... .......................................................................................... The History of Polish citizens in KL Auschwitz The History of Polish citizens in KL Auschwitz Project producer: Project producer: State Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau Fundacja Wiara i Prawda (Faith and Truth Foundation) Fundacja Wiara i Prawda (Faith and Truth Foundation) Production financed by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System Production financed by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System as part of the program supporting activities related to national memory as part of the program supporting activities related to national memory POLISH CITIZENS IN POLISH CITIZENS IN KL AUSCHWITZ KL AUSCHWITZ JÓZEF GARLIŃSKI WITOLD PILECKI Was born on 14 October, 1913 in Kiev. In 1926, He was awarded a PhD at London School of Eco- Was born in 1901. As a scout he participated in committed by the Nazists in Auschwitz. After he became a student of the Corps of Cadets in nomics and Political Science. He published nearly the defence of Vilnius. He was also a volunteer escaping from the camp (at night 26/27 April, Rawicz. He passed his “Matura” exam in 1934 in twenty books. The most popular ones include: in the Polish-Bolshevik war. At the outbreak of 1943), he took part in the Warsaw Uprising, being Kalisz and went to law school at the University of Fighting Auschwitz: The Resistance Movement in the the Second World War, he fought for his Home- subsequently detained in POW camps. After the Warsaw. He participated in the defense of Poland Concentration Camp, Hitler's Last Weapons: The Un- land. He was the co-organiser of the Secret Polish war, he served in the Second Corps of General in September 1939. After coming back to Warsaw derground War Against the V1 and V2, The Enigma Army which later became a part of ZWZ/AK. In Władysław Anders. In the last months of 1945, the from German captivity, he joined the conspiracy. War: The Inside Story of the German Enigma Codes the summer of 1940, he took a voluntary deci- Rittmeister created an informative network in He dealt with prison intelligence, i.e. contacts and How the Allies Broke Them. He was invited to sion to penetrate Auschwitz in order to establish a non-sovereign country governed by commu- with people detained by Gestapo. He was ar- lecture in the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Switzer- a conspiracy network there, collect credible data nists and sent the collected data to Italy. While ful- rested on 20 April, 1943, imprisoned in Pawiak, land and Scandinavia. In Poland, he could share on SS crimes, and then prepare the camp for filling his tasks, in spring 1947, he was arrested in and then transferred to Auschwitz. Subsequently, his knowledge only after 1989. He protected the fighting when an appropriate moment arrives. Warsaw and one year later, after a long-term in- he was imprisoned in Neuengamme and its sub- good reputation of Poland on every possible oc- The Military Organisation Union (ZOW), estab- vestigation and trial, he was sentenced to death. sidiaries, where finally on 4 May, 1945, in the sub- casion and everywhere he went; he corrected lished upon his initiative, entered into collabo- The death penalty was carried out on 25 May, camp Ludwigslust, he was liberated. After the distorted information, popularised truth and ac- ration with the camp resistance movement. By 1948 despite his family’s petition for amnesty. war he decided not to go back