Trasa Pamięci / Route of Remembrance

Not too many people, including Polish nation, doesn’t recognize a definition of subcamp of Hitler’s concentration camp Auschwitz. It is worth remembering, that the subcamps net was very extended. At some point, they imprisoned about 40,000 people in over 40 locations. One of biggest subcamps, called Jawischowitz, was located in Brzeszcze, that is situated only 10 km from the main camp in Auschwitz. The operation was run between 1942 and 1945. About 2,500 prisoners were used as workforce at coal-mine in Brzeszcze.

It was the first place in history of concentration camps where prisoners worked under ground. As far as prisoners’ nationality, Jawischowitz consisted mostly of Jews from countries occupied by Germany. Jawischowitz subcamp was known among Auschwitz prisoners as the worst place of all. Next to Jawischowitz, there was a second subcamp called Budy. Prisoners of Budy worked with melioration of ponds and at local farms. In Budy, there was also Women Punitive Company, transferred from Auschwitz-Birkenau. Budy remembers one night of ferocious massacre when 90 French Jewish women were murdered. Tragic history of subcamps is preserved very little to none. War awareness of horrible events that took place in Brzeszcze is weaker with each year passing by. Nobody remembers anymore heroic citizens in town, who helped prisoners via lots of various conspiring activities.

The main purpose of the project is to introduce and permanently preserve the tragic history of Auschwitz subcamps’ prisoners and local citizens helping them in many ways.

Detailed goals:

• revival of memories of living witnesses
• passing knowledge to next generations
• preserving history
• opening historic sites for turists

The subject of the project is to prepare the basis of “Memory Trail”, allowing to get to know history of subcamps, lives of prisoners and helping them citizens.
 

1. Making 4 memory boards
   - At the building of Women Punitive Company in Budy
   - In the park – the actual place where Jawischowitz was situated – at the building of subcamp bath
   - At the cemetery in Jawiszowice – place where prisoners where burried
   - Next to the building of so called “Villa of coal-mine executives”, where prisoners worked and died
    
2. Preparing and distribution of booklets containing information related to: most important sites in this area connected to Auschwitz-Birkenau; help provided by Brzeszcze citizens, their biographies;
3. Translating and publishing of book „Jawischowitz, annexe d'Auschwitz”, written by French authors, describing the history of Jawischowitz
4. Recording a documentary movie – Brzeszcze during World War II
5. Creating a website dedicated to the project – the fastest, most accessible source of information all over the world
6. Holding conference summerizing the project

Day 1

• lecture given by academic employee of Auschwitz museum, project consultant, author of the booklet
• presentation of the book “Jawischowitz (...)” – first polish monography
• meeting with French authors of the book, director and screenwriter of the movie
• meeting with former prisoners
• premiere show of the movie

Day 2

• movie presentation for high school pupils from Brzeszcze,
• open movie presentation for citizens