If nations lose their memory they cease to be.
Tukidydes
The history of Poland and Kraków is marked by a struggle for survival that at times seemed endless. But hope was stronger than the pain and fear and as Sylweriusz Chmurkowski wrote in Two Faces of War: war makes wonders ! It destroys and kills but it is also a creative force because it gives strength and builds the spirit.
These were the days of heroes some of whom are well-known as their names have been carved on stone plaques, written down in books and pronounced with respect. But they were the days of unknown heroes, who paid dearly in their fight against oppression, with their lives, health and the trauma of their loved ones.
We want their memory to live on.
That’s why we created the project Save from Being Forgotten.
WITNESSES
Here you will find priceless witness stories in the form of short films. Each could start with the words: I was, I saw, I experienced, I survived.
Nothing can replace the memories, both good and bad, stored deeply in the souls of those who survived .
Time is against us, so hurry to hear their stories.
UNKNOWN STORIES
Let’s listen to what the men, women, scouts, partisans, Home Army soldiers, then children like Yanina Ecker (then a little Jewish girl saved by a Polish couple Józefa and Tadeusz Latawiec) have shared with us.
If placed in the same situations, would we have the same courage?
It is worth thinking about and discussing.
ARCHIVES
The interviews are accompanied by materials found in state archives.
We have created a digital archive consisting of a 50 minute documentary available online on the MHK website, as well as many hours of source material which can be found in the Oskar Schindler’s Factory library on 4 Lipowa Street in Krakow. These recordings are part of A Spoken History programme co-financed by the Museum of Polish History in Warsaw under the Patriotism of Tomorrow programme. Our interviews are part of the Kraków under Nazi Occupation 1939–1945 exhibition.
THANK YOU
We would like to say thank you to our heroes for sharing their stories with us.
