ChatterBank1 min ago
Witold Pilecki
50 Answers
Remember his name.
Unremembered heroes. Women and men driven to almost unbelievable acts of heroism, forgotten by most of us.
One such: Witold Pilecki, a Polish resistance fighter who broke IN to Auschwitz to expose the Nazi regime.
His story, in brief:
https:/
He was executed by Polish 'communists' after the war on trumped-up charges. His last wish:
"I've been trying to live my life so that in the hour of my death I would rather feel joy, than fear."
Makes me feel proud and ashamed at the same time.
A
Unremembered heroes. Women and men driven to almost unbelievable acts of heroism, forgotten by most of us.
One such: Witold Pilecki, a Polish resistance fighter who broke IN to Auschwitz to expose the Nazi regime.
His story, in brief:
https:/
He was executed by Polish 'communists' after the war on trumped-up charges. His last wish:
"I've been trying to live my life so that in the hour of my death I would rather feel joy, than fear."
Makes me feel proud and ashamed at the same time.
A
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Allen: "Also odd how no-one else here seems to have bothered their Jim Royles about this man. " - I read the link and more allen but I was lost for words I did not want to put a throwaway standard response because it just seemed wrong. Nothing I could write would be worthy, I must admit to being speechless. You issuing us the rollocking has at least given me the chance to explain, thanks.
Charles Coward said he broke into Auschwitz, though when they filmed his exploits with Dirk Bogarde in The Password is Courage they left that out, perhaps because there was some doubt about it. The film made his story seem like slapstick so it probably wouldn't have fitted anyway
https:/
https:/
Well said allenlondon.
After the Red Army "liberated" Poland from the fascists, many German-named towns such as Posen, Danzig and Breslau reverted to their Polish names (Poznan, Gdansk and Wroclaw respectively)
Although the town of Auschwitz reverted to its former Polish name of Oswiecim, the death camp is still called Auschwitz.
As time has passed the camp is thought of by many as a Polish death camp. This upsets many Poles. I agree with the Polish Government's proposal to rename it, "Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi-German Concentration Camp".
One renowned character who survived Auschwitz was the Italian Jew Primo Levi. His book "If This is a Man" is a brilliant read.
After the Red Army "liberated" Poland from the fascists, many German-named towns such as Posen, Danzig and Breslau reverted to their Polish names (Poznan, Gdansk and Wroclaw respectively)
Although the town of Auschwitz reverted to its former Polish name of Oswiecim, the death camp is still called Auschwitz.
As time has passed the camp is thought of by many as a Polish death camp. This upsets many Poles. I agree with the Polish Government's proposal to rename it, "Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi-German Concentration Camp".
One renowned character who survived Auschwitz was the Italian Jew Primo Levi. His book "If This is a Man" is a brilliant read.
Karolina.
The treatment of the land of Poland during and after the war is a disgrace on so many levels, and while I cannot be responsible for my forebear’s actions, I can feel shame for the acts done in their name.
But all European nations should consider and remember their own complicity in the Holocaust, and ensure it can never be repeated.
The treatment of the land of Poland during and after the war is a disgrace on so many levels, and while I cannot be responsible for my forebear’s actions, I can feel shame for the acts done in their name.
But all European nations should consider and remember their own complicity in the Holocaust, and ensure it can never be repeated.
// He was executed by Polish 'communists'//
well in a thumbnail
the polish fought bravely for King George . NOT churchill remember who gave Poland to Stalin in the naughty document ( betrayal of Yalta (*)) - and for the first time - foreign nationals were given the right to settle in England if they had served under the Polish Settlement Act 1948. We had Poles who 'cdnt go back' because they fought for the wrong side. Bits of the Polish Home Army werent Red enough.
(*) Betrayal of Yalta - the first mention on AB brought fought gales of posts " who and what dat den" as no one was aware Churchill had betrayed eastern europe in 1945. - er except those who grew up in corners of the empire with large numbers of displaced persons
https:/
well in a thumbnail
the polish fought bravely for King George . NOT churchill remember who gave Poland to Stalin in the naughty document ( betrayal of Yalta (*)) - and for the first time - foreign nationals were given the right to settle in England if they had served under the Polish Settlement Act 1948. We had Poles who 'cdnt go back' because they fought for the wrong side. Bits of the Polish Home Army werent Red enough.
(*) Betrayal of Yalta - the first mention on AB brought fought gales of posts " who and what dat den" as no one was aware Churchill had betrayed eastern europe in 1945. - er except those who grew up in corners of the empire with large numbers of displaced persons
https:/
Roman Catholic Poles are nt really holocausty
even 250 out of 1000 poles ended up dead at the end of the war
the russians did it too - and how
it took me to age 35 - to realise that Clearing of the Warsaw Ghetto was different in time and place to The Warsaw uprising
warsaw ghetto - the Pianist
warsaw uprising - the film where Peter otoole ( german officer) shoots OMar shariff ( another german officer) and the only witness is a German trooper ( Tom Courtenay)
even 250 out of 1000 poles ended up dead at the end of the war
the russians did it too - and how
it took me to age 35 - to realise that Clearing of the Warsaw Ghetto was different in time and place to The Warsaw uprising
warsaw ghetto - the Pianist
warsaw uprising - the film where Peter otoole ( german officer) shoots OMar shariff ( another german officer) and the only witness is a German trooper ( Tom Courtenay)
I was fortunate enough to come across the academic work of a Dr Na'ama Shik, working at Yadvashem. One of the publications she was working on was 'In a Very Silent Screams – Jewish Women in Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration and Extermination Camp, 1942-1945'.
I've got some roughish PDFs she was good enough to send me.
She was working specifically on how the Jewish women survived the camps, although how she maintained her sanity and equilibrium studying their accounts is beyond me.
A
I've got some roughish PDFs she was good enough to send me.
She was working specifically on how the Jewish women survived the camps, although how she maintained her sanity and equilibrium studying their accounts is beyond me.
A
Naomi, I took 'Jim Royles' to mean that anyone who hadn't leapt in to reply was disinterested and by default a totally uncaring and unconcerned person.
We must always remember that on Answerbank you get lambasted as much for not being well versed enough to answer (as in my case) as you do for answering the very best you can.
We must always remember that on Answerbank you get lambasted as much for not being well versed enough to answer (as in my case) as you do for answering the very best you can.
Mamya. Not too kind a comment. All I wanted was for people to read a (not very long) article in a newspaper.
But I have me doubts as to whether anyone actually did read it.
I didn't want anyone to come back with a detailed exposition of Polish wartime and post-war problems, just 'a nod' of respect to someone who broke INTO one of the centuries' most diabolical (using the term advisedly) places, broken into it for the benefit of humanity. And who paid the ultimate price - a bullet in the back of the head - for his troubles.
My "not being Jim Royled" is I would have thought understood by 99.9% of the readership to mean "not being PASSED [without the P]".
But I have me doubts as to whether anyone actually did read it.
I didn't want anyone to come back with a detailed exposition of Polish wartime and post-war problems, just 'a nod' of respect to someone who broke INTO one of the centuries' most diabolical (using the term advisedly) places, broken into it for the benefit of humanity. And who paid the ultimate price - a bullet in the back of the head - for his troubles.
My "not being Jim Royled" is I would have thought understood by 99.9% of the readership to mean "not being PASSED [without the P]".
My not very kind comment was in response to yours Allen - childish of me no doubt.
I read your post last night and looked forward to some informative and well structed replies today.
There have been some and once more I am better educated and informed, so thanks for that to all.
Not sure why you had to add a sour note.
I read your post last night and looked forward to some informative and well structed replies today.
There have been some and once more I am better educated and informed, so thanks for that to all.
Not sure why you had to add a sour note.
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