back...Announcement of the design for the monument to Polish children - victims of German crimes in the Lodz area

“Thanks to the initiative taken by the Museum of Polish Children - Victims of Totalitarianism, Polish children who lost their lives during World War II will be commemorated with dignity. The monument, which will soon be erected at the St. Wojciech Roman Catholic cemetery in Lodz, will be a place reminding us of the tragedy of the youngest victims of totalitarian Germany,” explains Dr. Ireneusz Piotr Maj, the director of the Museum, in connection with the announcement of the best designs for the monument dedicated to Polish children, victims of German crimes in Lodz. 

On June 30, a press conference was held at the Museum of Polish Children - Victims of Totalitarianism to announce the jury's verdict. Out of the eight works that were submitted to the museum, the jury selected the best three designs. After the recommendation of the Survivors and the chairman of the jury, the design was selected to be implemented at the St. Wojciech Cemetery in Lodz. The other two prize-winning designs will be incorporated into the modern architectural form of the future permanent headquarters of the Museum in Lodz and its Branch in Dzierżązna. The construction of the monument will be financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The Archdiocese of Lodz and PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna S.A., patron of the Museum, will also be involved in the implementation of the project.

“Thanks to the initiative taken by the Museum of Polish Children - Victims of Totalitarianism, Polish children who lost their lives during World War II will be commemorated with dignity. The monument, which will soon be erected at the St. Wojciech Roman Catholic cemetery in Lodz, will be a place reminding us of the tragedy of the youngest victims of totalitarian Germany,” explained the director of the Museum of Polish Children - Victims of Totalitarianism.

At the St. Wojciech Roman Catholic Cemetery in Lodz, the Museum's historians found the burial sites of Polish children, as well as one of two preserved graves of prisoners of the camp on Przemyslowa Street. 

“We have determined that up to several hundred Polish children from various German camps were buried there, but their graves were dug up after the war. At the request of the victims' relatives, we indicate the burial places of the children, but there are already graves of other people there. The monument, the design of which the competition was about, will be a kind of symbolic grave with the specific names of the children marked,” said Dr. Ireneusz Piotr Maj, the director of the Museum.

Details of the winning design were presented at the press conference.