Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- The German Policy of Extermination and Germanization of Polish Children during World War II
- A Crime without Punishment: The Extermination of Polish Children during the Period of German Occupation from 1939 to 1945
- Polish Children and Youth in Auschwitz
- Suffering of Children in Auschwitz – Biological and Mental Extermination
- When There Were No More Tears Left to Cry: The Tragic Fate of the Polish Children Displaced from the Zamość Region in 1942–1943
- Children of the Zamość Region in the Majdanek Camp (in Selected Archive Files and Personal Accounts)
- The German Camp for Juvenile Poles in Łódź at Przemysłowa Street
- The Role of Gaukinderheim Kalisch in Germanization during World War II
- The Germanization of Polish Children and Youth in Gdańsk Pomerania and the Role of the Stutthof Concentration Camp
- Children’s Experiences in the German Displacement and Forced Labor Camp in Potulice and Smukała – Memories of Female Prisoners
- The Fate of the Children of Białystok under Soviet and German Totalitarianism during World War II
- Extermination of Juvenile Scouts in the Lands of Poland during the German Occupation of 1939–1945
- The Fate of Polish Children in Allied-occupied Germany in the Years 1945–1950
- The Returns of Polish Children from German Lands and Scouting Activity at the Transitional Center in Munich. The Polish West State Banner Established by Władysław Śmiałek and Its Role in Simplifying the Fate of Polish War Orphans
Children of the Zamość Region in the Majdanek Camp (in Selected Archive Files and Personal Accounts)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2021
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction
- The German Policy of Extermination and Germanization of Polish Children during World War II
- A Crime without Punishment: The Extermination of Polish Children during the Period of German Occupation from 1939 to 1945
- Polish Children and Youth in Auschwitz
- Suffering of Children in Auschwitz – Biological and Mental Extermination
- When There Were No More Tears Left to Cry: The Tragic Fate of the Polish Children Displaced from the Zamość Region in 1942–1943
- Children of the Zamość Region in the Majdanek Camp (in Selected Archive Files and Personal Accounts)
- The German Camp for Juvenile Poles in Łódź at Przemysłowa Street
- The Role of Gaukinderheim Kalisch in Germanization during World War II
- The Germanization of Polish Children and Youth in Gdańsk Pomerania and the Role of the Stutthof Concentration Camp
- Children’s Experiences in the German Displacement and Forced Labor Camp in Potulice and Smukała – Memories of Female Prisoners
- The Fate of the Children of Białystok under Soviet and German Totalitarianism during World War II
- Extermination of Juvenile Scouts in the Lands of Poland during the German Occupation of 1939–1945
- The Fate of Polish Children in Allied-occupied Germany in the Years 1945–1950
- The Returns of Polish Children from German Lands and Scouting Activity at the Transitional Center in Munich. The Polish West State Banner Established by Władysław Śmiałek and Its Role in Simplifying the Fate of Polish War Orphans
Summary
Abstract: The issue of the fate of those displaced from the Zamość region is extremely difficult and complicated from a researcher's point of view. The main problem is the lack of documentation, and incomplete or illegible records. Therefore, some facts cannot be determined. However, thanks to the existence of a document such as the “List of displaced persons from the Zamość region released from Majdanek on 7–13/08/1943” and to the memories of the witnesses, it is possible, although only to a limited extent, to reveal the pages of history. Such an attempt has been made in this chapter.
Keywords: Children of the Zamość region, Majdanek,concentration camp, German Occupation
Introduction
Attempting to examine a specific fragment of the reality of World War II seems to be an extremely difficult task. Several factors contribute to this problem, including the increasing time interval since the events of the last century and (especially important in light of this discussion) the lack of documentation which could organise the happenings of the past. It is no different when it comes to the forced displacement of the people from the Zamość region during World War II.
The first difficulty encountered by a researcher trying to explore this issue is the incomplete documentation kept by the army and by the occupier's institutions. It is well-known that at the end of military operations, the frightened Germans tried to cover the traces of their crimes, destroying everything that could incriminate them, from files, through buildings, and often including people. An additional problem with the documentation – not only regarding the children of the Zamość region, but also children in the Majdanek concentration camp in general – is the fact that very often the presence of a minor in the camp was not recorded at all. Occasionally, the name of a child who arrived at the camp was written on the corner of the guardian's file (most often it was the mother, but there were cases when this role was performed by a grandmother, sister, or other relatives with whom the child was sent to the camp or when the child was orphaned).
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- Information
- Crime without PunishmentThe Extermination and Suffering of Polish Children during the German Occupation 1939–1945, pp. 115 - 130Publisher: Jagiellonian University PressPrint publication year: 2022