Museum for Polish WWII saviours of Jews advances
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
19.03.2015 11:28
Poland's first museum dedicated to 'righteous gentiles' who aided Jews during World War II will open in December 2015, it has been announced.
Construction work at the site in Markowa. Photo: PAP/Darek Delmanowicz
Journalists were given a sneak preview of the site in Markowa, south east Poland, where construction work is advancing.
The museum is named in memory of the Ulma family, who were shot dead by the Nazi German occupiers in March 1944 in Markowa, after a tip-off that Jews were being sheltered there.
The institution will focus on the surrounding Podkarpackie region, exploring the stories of those who helped Jews, and the dilemmas they faced.
Pre-war Polish-Jewish relations will also be presented, as well as how the occupation affected the status quo. The aftermath of World War II, when a large proportion of Polish-Jewish survivors emigrated, is likewise being chronicled.
Photo: PAP/Darek Delmanowicz
Over 6400 ethnic Poles are commemorated in Israel's Garden of the Righteous in Jerusalem for aiding Jews during World War II. The list of 'righteous gentiles' can only be increased if testimonies of surviving witnesses are provided. (nh)
Source: PAP