This year the Remembrance Museum staff will carry out the “We Remember” project for the third time before All Saints Day.
The primary goal of this project is to identify the graves where people who helped prisoners of the Nazi German KL Auschwitz camp during World War II were buried, and to commemorate heroes from the Land of Oświęcim.
A year ago, the museum, in cooperation with community organizations and history enthusiasts, organized educational walks for schoolchildren through cemeteries in Oświęcim, Osiek, Zator and Kęty. This year, museum educators Joanna Cebulska and Anita Bury will conduct workshops at schools dedicated to such people as: Helena Płotnicka (Peasant Battalions pseud. “Hela”, “Wilga”), Helena Stupka (Union of Armed Struggle/Home Army pseud. “Jadźka”) or Janina Kajtoch (Union of Armed Struggle/Home Army pseud. “Skała”). In this way, young people will have the opportunity to learn about local stories and the fate of people involved during the war in the resistance movement and in helping Auschwitz prisoners, and to commemorate the heroes.
Distinctive candles with a badge and the inscription “We remember” will be lit at other graves and memorials located in cemeteries in the area of Oświęcim. Among others, the following will be commemorated: Julia Ilisinska, Silent Unseen Major Piotr Szewczyk, Janina Pomietlarz, Apolonia Bukietyńska, commander of the “Sosienki” Home Army unit Jan Wawrzyczek pseud. “Danuta”.
Among the dozens of places that museum staff will visit this year as part of the “We Remember” project will be the symbolic burial site of Home Army soldiers (Oświęcim parish cemetery) executed by the Germans at Auschwitz on January 25, 1943. Among them were Alojzy Banaś (a.k.a. “Zorza, “Olcha” commander of the Union of Armed Struggle/Home Army Oświęcim District), Maksymilian Niezgoda (a.k.a. “Rampola” member of the Union of Armed Struggle/ Home Army Oświęcim District staff), Bronisława Kubisty (a.k.a. “Niusia” ZWZ/AK liaison officer), and Jan Jakuczek (a.k.a. “Zaolziański” commander of the Union of Armed Struggle/ Home Army outpost for Oświęcim).
