back...Final Gala of the Voivodeship History Competition “We were just children. Gehenna of Polish children during World War II”

On 29 May 2025, the final gala of the Voivodeship History Competition, “We Were Just Children. Gehenna of Polish children during World War II.”, took place. The competition was open to pupils in 7th and 8th grades from primary schools in the Łódź Voivodeship. The event was held at the temporary premises of the Museum of Polish Children – victims of totalitarianism, located at Piotrkowska 90 in Łódź.

During the ceremony, seven laureates and seven finalists of the Voivodeship Competition received certificates, prizes and diplomas from the Łódź Chief Education Officer in recognition of their participation in the competition, which focused on the history of Polish children and young people during the German and Soviet occupations.

“We are delighted by the keen interest that young people have shown in Polish history, their desire to research their family stories and their dedication to preserving the memory of events from 80 years ago. More than 300 pupils from almost 60 schools from Łódź and the Łódź Voivodeship took part in the competition. It is also worth emphasising the passion of the teachers who supported their students in preparing for the subsequent stages of the Competition, as well as the efforts of the school principals to foster patriotic attitudes among young people”,explained Joanna Frydenberg, the Competition coordinator representing the Museum.

The event concluded with a meeting with Survivors from the camp for Polish children in Przemysłowa Street in Łódź: Krystyna Łyczywek and Jan Śliwiński. Attendees had the opportunity to hear the emotional accounts of siblings who were brought to wartime Litzmannstadt by the turmoil of war, and who were then sent to forced labour deep into the Third Reich, together with their families. The meeting was moderated by Jolanta Sowińska-Gogacz.

The organisers of the Competition were: the Museum of Polish Children – victims of totalitarianism and the Łódź Education Authority. They would like to thank the Management and teachers of the Public Secondary School of Łódź University of Technology for their involvement in organising the regional and voivodeship stages of the competition.