News
News
We warmly invite you to the celebrations of the 83rd anniversary of the establishment of a branch of the German camp for Polish children in Dzierżązna. The celebrations will take place on 16 March 2026 at 12.00 p.m. at the Community Centre for Culture, Sports, Tourism and Recreation in Dzierżązna.
We invite you to join a meeting devoted to the book “Mury i szczeliny. Przestrzenie getta warszawskiego” by Justyna Majewska. The event will take place on 16 March 2026 at
6 p.m. at the Museum of Polish Children – victims of totalitarianism (ul. Piotrkowska 90, 2nd floor).
On the evening of 27 February 2026, the Museum of Polish Children – victims of totalitarianism hosted an extraordinary meeting with Bohdan Kończak, a former prisoner of the German camp for Polish children in Przemysłowa Street in Łódź. The event, held as part of the “Through My Own Eyes” series, also marked the celebration of his 91st birthday.
In 1946, thanks to the efforts of Polish diplomats, 125 children arrived in Barcelona. Behind this number lie the tragic stories of young Poles who, during the Second World War, passed through the hell of Nazi Germanisation centres. On the 80th anniversary of these events, the Museum of Polish Children – victims of totalitarianism, together with the Instituto Cervantes in Warsaw, invites you to a series of meetings presenting this extraordinary story.
The Museum of Polish Children – victims of totalitarianism is honoured to invite you to a meeting with Bohdan Kończak, a survivor of the German camp for Polish children in Przemysłowa Street in Łódź. The event will take place on 27 February 2026 at 6 p.m. at the Museum’s headquarters, ul. Piotrkowska 90 (2nd floor).
On Monday, February 9, our Museum held a special meeting as part of “The full shelf. A forum on war and children” series. This time, researchers and participants examined the darker side of the history of the camp in Przemysłowa Street – specifically the people who built and maintained its system of oppression. The main topic was Agnieszka Fronczek Kwarta, PhD, and Michał Hankiewicz's book: “The Staff of the German camp for Polish children and youth in Łódź (1942–1945)”.
You cannot understand the present without understanding the past. What happened once forms the foundations of our world today. The memory of the youngest victims of totalitarianism is our shared responsibility.
We invite you to a meeting dedicated to the book “The staff of the German camp for Polish children and youth in Łódź (1942-1945)” by Agnieszka Fronczek-Kwarta and Michał Hankiewicz.
We have just completed an intensive year of educational and commemorative activities. We are proud to share a summary of the past year at the Museum of Polish Children – victims of totalitarianism. Your support gives purpose to our mission.
We would like to invite you to a discussion devoted to the ways in which photographs from armed conflicts are created and interpreted. The debate, titled “Propaganda and reality – the world of war photographs”, will be held on 28 January 2026, from 5.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m., at the temporary premises of the Museum at Piotrkowska 90 in Łódź.
On 16 January 2026, a ceremony was held to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the end of the German camp for Polish children on Przemysłowa Street in Łódź. The event, organised by the Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism, was a tribute to the youngest victims of Nazi terror.
The Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism invites you to take part in the commemoration of the 81st anniversary of the end of the German camp for Polish children on Przemysłowa Street in Łódź.
We are proud to bring you a unique publication, which is the first volume in the series Studies in Childhood and Totalitarianismentitled: “Polen-Jugendverwahrlager Litzmannstadt in the context of German crimes against Polish children during World War II”.
An academic conference, organised by the Museum of Polish Children – victims of totalitarianism, took place on 20 November 2025, at the Łódź Community Centre, located at ul. Dowborczyków 18, Łódź. The aim of the conference was to foster a discussion on the fates of children and young people during the final stage of humanity’s greatest armed conflict and in the initial post-war years (1944-1949).
The conference entitled “80 years have passed. The situation of the child at the end of World War II and in the first years of the postwar period (1944-1949)”, organised by the Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism, will be held on 20 November 2025 at the Łódź Centre of Culture (ul. Dowborczyków 18).
Until January 16, 2026, the Museum is collecting research articles for the journal Głos Pamięci. Rocznik Muzeum Dzieci Polskich – Ofiar Totalitaryzmu (The Voice of Memory. Annual of the Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism).
The annual publishes articles, reviews, discussions and polemics that align with its mission. Scholarly articles are subject to a double-blind peer review process. Authors are not charged fees for submission, the review process or publication.
The languages of publication are Polish and other major languages of international academic communication.
The 22nd of September marks the first official commemoration of the Remembrance Day for Victims of the Extermination of People with Psychiatric Disorders in Occupied Poland during the Second World War. This day was established by the Sejm of the Republic of Poland to honour the memory of those who perished in the criminal operation by the German occupiers known as Aktion T4.
On 10 September, to mark the National Day of Polish Children of War, the Museum of Polish Children – victims of totalitarianism, in collaboration with the Children of War Association in Poland, organised a commemorative ceremony at the Monument to the Martyrdom of Children, known as the “Broken Heart”, in Łódź.
On 10 September 2025, the Museum hosted a private view of its latest exhibition, “We, the People of Mosina. Past and present”, at its premises at ul. Piotrkowska 90.
1 August 2025 marks the 81st anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising. This unequal, 63-day struggle against the occupier resulted in thousands of deaths and the near-total destruction of the city. The aftermath saw further reprisals from the German authorities, who imprisoned both active and passive participants of the Uprising in concentration camps.
Join us for free museum activities this summer holiday. All activities will be held from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Museum of Polish Children – victims of totalitarianism invites professionals in tourism, tour guiding and guide services, as well as teachers interested in conducting classes on the Przemysłowa camp (for pupils over 12 years of age), to participate in a two-day seminar. The seminar aims to present the current state of scientific research on the history of the camp, the Museum's free educational activities and the educational route around the former camp site.
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.
Invitation to participate in the 3rd scientific conference of the Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism: 80 years have passed. The situation of the child at the end of World War II and the first years of the post-war period (1944-1949)organized in Lodz on 20 November 2025.
The aim of the conference is to discuss the fate of children and adolescents in the final phase of the largest armed conflict in the history of mankind and the early years of the post-war period (1944-1949). The year 2025 marks the round 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The historical and cultural policy of modern Europe remains oriented toward remembering those experiences and setting signposts to avoid a large-scale conflict in the years to come. At the same time, the war taking place at Poland's borders absorbs the attention of Europeans and forces critical reflection on the historical memory of societies. Against this background, the conference stirs up a renewed discussion on the fate of children and young people from areas occupied by the Third Reich and the USSR, for whom the end of the war was not only about regaining the desired freedom, but was also a period of new challenges related to, among other things, orphanhood, returning home, rebuilding family ties, gaining education and a profession, becoming independent, regaining a sense of security and improving health. The conference will also be a contribution to the consideration of the correlation between the problems of the youngest ones and the solutions implemented systemically by the new Polish authorities and an opportunity to assess the directions taken in connection with the change in the balance of power in post-war Europe, divided into two antagonistic blocs of states.
This Thursday, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, a ceremony commemorating the Children of War will be held at the Monument to the Martyrdom of Children – so called “Broken Heart” – in Szarych Szeregów Park in Łódź. The event will start at 11:00 a.m.
You are cordially invited to the Museum Night, which will take place on 17 May 2025. The event will begin at 6 p.m. at the temporary headquarters of the Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism at ul. Piotrkowska 90. Participants of the event will be able to visit exhibitions and take part in meetings with witnesses of history through VR technology.
On April 15, 2025, the three-stage Provincial Thematic Historical Competition "We were just children. Gehenna of Polish children during and after World War II” was finished. Participants in the competition demonstrated their knowledge of the policies of the German and Soviet occupiers in the Polish territories towards Polish society during World War II, as well as their knowledge of the history of the camp on Przemysłowa Street. Out of more than 300 young history enthusiasts who entered the competition, 6 students earned the title of winner and 8 became finalists.
Today, for the fourth time, the Little Way of the Cross event was held in Przemysłowa Street in Łódź, dedicated to the former prisoners of the German camp for Polish children. Following Holy Mass at the parish church of Holy Virgin Mary the Gracious, participants proceeded to the Monument to the Martyrdom of Children. The event was held under the patronage of the Museum of Polish Children – victims of totalitarianism.
On 19 March, ceremonies were held to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the first transport of female prisoners to a branch of the German camp for Polish children in Przemysłowa Street in Łódź. The events took place at the Community Centre for Culture, Sports, Tourism and Recreation in Dzierżązna.
On September 10, 2023, we celebrated the National Day of the Polish Children of War for the first time. This is a tribute to the youngest citizens of the Polish state overwhelmed by the criminal activities of the German and Soviet occupiers. The Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism, retaining the memory and spreading knowledge of the fate of Polish children during World War II, encourages primary school students to participate in the competition enabling them to develop historical interests and perpetuate the values that were important to many generations of Poles and are still essential to the formation of the nation's identity, such as historical memory, community and responsibility.
On 1 March, we commemorate the Cursed Soldiers National Remembrance Day. This day was established in 2011 by the Sejm of the Republic of Poland to honour those who resisted the communist regime in the Polish anti-communist underground.
The 11th of December 2021 marks the 79th anniversary of the first transport of the little prisoners to the German concentration camp for Polish children on Przemysłowa Street in Łódź. On that day, the 25-month period of the torment of the youngest victims of the Nazi regime started.
This touching animated film tells the story of a little girl who is taken from the present to the German concentration camp for Polish children on Przemysłowa Street in Łódź, where her fate could have been changed forever.
On the 1st of December 2021, 79 years have passed since the establishment of the concentration camp for Polish children in Łódź. Those who managed to survive it had to endure the psychological and physical anguish from the trauma they had experienced in the camp for many years after the war ended. To commemorate these events, the museum organised a solemn meeting with the participation of the survivors themselves, featuring a premiere of the historical fiction film, Nauczono nas płakać bez łez… (“We Learned to Cry Without Tears”), and a publication bearing the same title.
![Graves of children – victims of the German camp – have been found [NL]](f/konferencja-26.11.21-2_s10.jpg)
Historians from the Museum of Polish Children - Victims of Totalitarianism have discovered the burial places of child victims of the German concentration camp in Łódź that had previously remained unknown. The tormented Polish children were buried at the St. Wojciech Roman Catholic Church in Łódź. So far, the researchers have managed to locate 77 such locations. Two graves have remained intact, while the burial places of the other 75 victims are now the graves of other people. The decision on further steps will be made by the Institute of National Remembrance.
Hunger, humiliation, pain and death from exhaustion – it is hard to imagine the endless suffering of the child prisoners of the camp in Łódź on Przemysłowa Street. We are obliged to make sure that this tragedy will never be forgotten.
We have the first school visit behind us! The classes, prepared by a team of educators and historians from the museum, help youths learn the history of their city and the fate of children who were held prisoner in the German camp on Przemysłowa Street.
A unique journey for more memories. In Mosina, we met survivors of the Przemysłowa Street camp – Bohdan Kończak and Wojciech Skibiński – and their families.
"Please send me some grey soap and a spoon because I have nothing to eat with. Please send me some saccharin and fry me 20 pancakes, Mummy..."
The significance of the recently found letters of children from the Przemysłowa Street camp was discussed during today's press conference by the Head of the Museum, Ireneusz Maj (PhD) and Andrzej Janicki (PhD).
We are beginning cooperation with the Museum of Cursed Soldiers and Political Prisoners of the Polish People's Republic! Thanks to the courtesy of the host – Jacek Marian Pawłowicz, the Head of the aforementioned museum – our Head of the museum, Ireneusz Maj, had an opportunity to familiarise himself not only with the collections of the museum in Warsaw, but also with the experience of its team.
Thank you. We thank our wonderful guests – the former prisoners of the Przemysłowa Street camp – for this meeting, a wonderful time and for all of the great emotions and memories. It was an invaluable source of knowledge. At the same time, we want to thank the friends of the museum for their presence and support during these two days. We know how important you consider our work to be because history is something that needs to be remembered.
Today marks an important date in the history of Łódź – the 77th anniversary of the liquidation of Litzmannstadt Ghetto. During the celebrations commemorating this event, Ireneusz Maj (PhD), Head of the Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism, laid flowers and read a letter addressed to the ceremony’s participants on behalf of Professor Piotr Gliński (PhD), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture, National Heritage and Sport.
We are at the end of the road of life. (...) we have no time left for the future – the survivors, former prisoners of the German concentration camp for Polish children, urge the authorities of the city of Łódź to transfer a building in aid of the museum.