On October 7, the Remembrance Museum of the Land of Oświęcim hosted another event in its popular Meeting with History series. The highlight of the program was the presentation of the Museum’s latest publication, titled Victims of the Katyn Massacre from the Oświęcim Region.
This unique book tells the stories of people from the region who fell victim to Soviet atrocities. It is the outcome of a scholarly conference held at the Museum on April 7, 2025. The publication’s authors are Professor Andrzej Synowiec, PhD, DSc, of Jagiellonian University; Dr. Dominik Abłamowicz; Dr. Marcin Krzek-Lubowiecki; Jarosław Ptaszkowski; Piotr Hertig; and Zbigniew Mazur.
The event brought together numerous history enthusiasts, people dedicated to preserving the memory of the tragic fate of their fellow countrymen, and family members of victims of the brutal killings carried out by the NKVD against citizens of the Second Polish Republic.
The guests were welcomed by Dorota Mleczko, Director of the Remembrance Museum of the Land of Oświęcim. IIn her remarks, she emphasized that the Museum’s mission is rooted in telling the story of history through the experiences of individuals from the Oświęcim region. This approach is at the heart of both the Museum’s publications and its everyday work.
Museum curator Zbigniew Mazur then took the floor, together with Piotr Hertig from the History Department, to introduce the contents of the new book. They highlighted the demanding research process and the effort to establish historical truth by searching for sources in numerous places, including some that might not be immediately obvious. They also noted that among the identified victims of the Katyn Massacre were 65 people who came from or had connections to the area that now forms Oświęcim County.
The special guest was one of the book’s co-authors, Dr. Dominik Abłamowicz. He began his presentation by discussing publications on the Katyn Massacre that had appeared over the past several decades. One of the most moving parts of his presentation was his personal account of taking part in archaeological investigations and exhumations carried out in Katyn Forest in the 1990s. His account was accompanied by a compelling presentation illustrated with unique photographs, offering a vivid picture of the conditions and challenges faced by those involved in the work.
The event concluded with a special gesture from Dr. Abłamowicz, who presented Director Dorota Mleczko with a digitized photographic archive documenting the excavations, thereby enriching the Museum’s collection. Another welcome and meaningful gesture was the presentation of complimentary commemorative copies of Victims of the Katyn Massacre from the Oświęcim Region to all attendees at the end of the event.
Our sincere thanks go to everyone who attended the event and to the victims’ families for keeping the memory of their loved ones alive. We are proud that the Remembrance Museum of the Land of Oświęcim once again provided a space for shared reflection on the difficult yet deeply important history of our country and region.
The publication is available for purchase at the Museum shop for PLN 80.
Dorota Mleczko, Director of the Remembrance Museum of the Land of Oświęcim, welcomes the guests.
