On June 5, 2025, an Intergenerational Meeting with Concentration Camp Survivors was held in the building of the former Agricultural Bank at 50 Nowogrodzka Street in Warsaw. The meeting, initiated by SGMK Rector Prof. Gertruda Uścińska, was part of the 85th anniversary celebrations of the first transport of Poles to the German Auschwitz-Birkenau camp.
The event was unique in nature, serving as a symbolic bridge of remembrance that connected generations of witnesses to history with young people from Warsaw’s primary schools, students, doctoral students, and SGMK employees. The meeting was opened by Prof. Gertruda Uścińska, who emphasized the importance of direct contact with people who went through the hell of German concentration camps and to this day bear witness to the indomitable human spirit.
The guests of honor at the meeting were:
- Barbara Wojnarowska Gautier – former prisoner of the German Auschwitz-Birkenau camp,
- Barbara Doniecka – former prisoner of the German Auschwitz-Birkenau camp,
- Barbara Ostrowska – former prisoner of the German Ravensbrück camp,
- Colonel Czesław Lewandowski, pseudonym “Bystry” – former prisoner of KL Stutthof, Warsaw insurgent, President of the Association of Polish Veterans and Former Political Prisoners,
- Colonel Bogdan Bartnikowski, pseudonym “Mały” – former prisoner of Dulag 121 camp in Pruszków and KL Auschwitz-Birkenau, a Warsaw insurgent.
Meeting participants had the honor of listening to moving testimonies, personal memories of the war, life in the camps, the loss of loved ones, and the struggle for survival. Although painful, these stories were full of strength, hope, and courage.
The second part of the event consisted of a conversation between the younger generation and the survivors. The questions asked by school and university students concerned everyday life in the camps, the emotions accompanying deportation, but also reflections on how memories of the past can shape the future. This dialogue was not only educational, but also a deeply moving meeting of hearts and values.
At the end, in a reflective atmosphere, SGMK doctoral students Ewelina Pabian and Marcin Kaczorowski performed songs of special historical and emotional significance: Modlitwa obozowa, Gdzie są kwiaty z tamtych lat and Z dawna Polski Tyś Królową, Maryjo. The event was closed in a spirit of remembrance and unity by joint singing of Pieśń obozowa.
The meeting was part of the tradition of intergenerational dialogues organized by SGMK—it is worth recalling, among others, the event of November 16, 2024, during which veterans, representatives of the Polish diaspora from Belgium and Ukraine met with scouts and the academic community of SGMK.
We invite you to view the photo report from the event.
