Two Wars – One Suffering

Letters written by Polish children from the German concentration camp in Lodz (1942-1945)

Letters written by Ukrainian children from the ongoing war (2022-2023)

“Dear Mummy [...]”

„[...] we slept while sitting on chairs by the entrance, it was very cold and wet [...]  there was some bread and a piece of sausage from the fridge [...]  They took our phones [...] Olya cried in her sleep. And then the first building burned down [...]”.

“Dear Daddy [...]”

„[...] we slept while sitting on chairs by the entrance, it was very cold and wet [...]  there was some bread and a piece of sausage from the fridge [...]  They took our phones [...] Olya cried in her sleep. And then the first building burned down [...]”.

Two Wars – One Suffering

Letters written by Polish children from the German concentration camp in Lodz (1942-1945)

Letters written by Ukrainian children from the ongoing war (2022-2023)

“Dear Mummy [...]”

„[...] we slept while sitting on chairs by the entrance, it was very cold and wet [...]  there was some bread and a piece of sausage from the fridge [...]  They took our phones [...] Olya cried in her sleep. And then the first building burned down [...]”.

“Dear Daddy [...]”

„[...] we slept while sitting on chairs by the entrance, it was very cold and wet [...]  there was some bread and a piece of sausage from the fridge [...]  They took our phones [...] Olya cried in her sleep. And then the first building burned down [...]”.

Edward Baran

I was 14 years old

A boy from Sosnowiec. In the camp, he had suffered from many serious illnesses. He had never fully recovered. The photograph reflects the extent of the physical deterioration of the children in the Lodz camp.

“Dear Mummy (...) as much as possible of cake and bread, and a jar of jam, and honey, onions, salt, sugar and saccharin, a padlock. A shirt and a pullover, and send the parcel as soon as possible, oatmeal, potatoes, bread, and butter (...) Greetings to you all”.

Kazimierz Gabrysiak

I was 13 years old

A 13-year-old scout from Poznan. He was captured by the Germans and imprisoned in the Lodz work camp for conspiratorial activities. He continued to suffer for many years after the war due to illnesses contracted in the camp.

„Dear mum and dad, sisters, brothers, and aunts. (...) I would like to ask you to send me a parcel, 2 loaves of bread just like you always baked at home, Mum. And some sugar, honey, and sausage, and jam, and no butter, because you don't have much. And a jar of mustard. Don't send a cake because you don't have that much flour. And a devotional book, just not the Holy Communion one, because it would get damaged, and a sacred medallion”.

Bohdan Kończak

I was 8 years old

An 8-year-old boy from Mosina. He was imprisoned in the camp together with his younger brother. His father was murdered by the Germans in Fort VII in Poznan. His mother was a survivor of the Ravensbrück concentration camp.

“Dear Auntie, I've received the parcel, for which I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Dear Auntie Renia, send me some black pudding, sausage, and pie, one loaf of bread, and please send me a spoon”.

Tadeusz Raźniewski

I was 9 years old

A 9-year-old boy from Lodz. He was imprisoned in the camp on Przemyslowa Street together with his one-year older cousin, Jerzy. After the war, he wrote down and published his memories.

“Dear Mummy, please come to see me, and again I ask you, Dear Mummy, please don't forget to visit me. Dear Mummy, please come to see me, just don't forget. Dear Mummy, I'm ending my letter here because I didn't have much to say”.

Jan Spychała

I was 13 years old

13-year-old boy from Grudziadz. On 18 January 1945, the day the German staff fled the camp, he was in a state of total exhaustion. Thanks to the help of the inhabitants of Lodz, he returned home.

“[...] I am asking for mustard, onion, garlic, saccharin, salt, pudding, and 5 cubes of Maggi for bouillon. Mummy, if you can, please send me a scarf, because the old one rotted when I was ill, tights, footwraps, gloves because it's cold outside these days, and some leather shoelaces, and perhaps a jumper and a small pencil, and a cardboard wallet for letters. Stay with God”.

Angelina

Ukraine

„My dear Daddy!

I'm very upset that we can't live in the same country! I miss you so much. It hurts me that you are now living in constant fear and under shellfire, and I really wish to hug you. Thank God that my mother and I are staying here in Poland. I really miss you and all the relatives, Wika, Kira, grandmothers Katrusia and Toma, grandfathers Sashko and Igor, and Lera. I want the war to end as soon as possible! I want our Ukraine to be free! I love you and miss you!

Your daughter

Angelina”

The letter was without a name

Ukraine

„Hello, my dear Daddy!

We really miss you. We are deeply saddened that when the war broke out, we had to leave the country with Eve and Mum. We are already used to living here, but our beloved country and family home there are the best. Soon the war will end and we will return home and fulfil all our dreams and desires. Daddy, we love you very much and can't wait to see you”.

Mykhailo I’m 11 years old

& Myroslava I’m 6 months old

Khoda

At the beginning of the invasion, they lived with their parents in the village of Mikolayovsky in the Mikolaiv district. For a long time, the epicentre of the fighting for Mikolaiv was in this area – the front line. Together with their mother, they were forced to flee from their homeland to Poland. For the time being, they are staying in Olsztyn. Their 37-year-old father, Ruslan Khoda, was killed on 4 August 2022 in a battle with Russian occupiers in the Kherson region. He was the commander of the reconnaissance battalion of the 36th Marine Infantry Brigade. His body has not been recovered to this day.

“ - Hi, Daddy! I'm doing fine, and I hope you're doing alright as well. I love you. If it's not too late, let me say – I strongly believe that you will survive, even though you don't answer [...] The funniest thing is that everyone seems to be going crazy, worrying about you, and crying. But you will come to Poland to get us, and we will go back to Ukraine, we will rejoice and eat Skittles.

 - Thank you, my dear son!

 -  Daddy, you're alive!”

(from text messages between the child and his father dated 31 July 2022)

Alina Morozova

I’m 17 years old

At the beginning of the Russian invasion, she lived with her parents in Mykolaiv. On 4 March 2022, she and her mother emigrated to Poland. The relocation decision was quite difficult to make. She was in shock and devastated. She had not planned to leave her home, family, town, friends, and her beloved dog. Her life has changed drastically.

“I couldn't comprehend how it was possible, when military planes are flying over your head, tanks are driving through the city streets, there is fighting everywhere, and your house is shaking from explosions [...] I was constantly looking at the news on my phone, and like everyone else, I was waiting for the emergency alarm to be called off and for this horror to end [...]”.

Sofiya I’m 8 years old

& Kateryna I’m 2 months old

At the beginning of the Russian invasion, they lived with their parents in Kharkiv. They would hide in their grandparents' basement, which is now utterly destroyed. They left Kharkiv with their mother on 1 March heading towards Kremenchuk-Odessa-Moldova.

“Many children were sitting in the underground [...] They weren't aware of anything. Our basement is now gone [...] It was the first bombardment with cluster bombs [...] The girls were hysterical. We sat under the falling bomb hails. For several nights. We expected it to stop. We were completely surrounded by smoke. It’s a nightmare [...]”.

(from mum's words)