back...Previously unknown letters sent by Polish children from the German camp
"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..." – such shocking letters from little children imprisoned in the German concentration camp in Łódź were discovered by the researchers of the 'Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism', which is now being created.
The historian underlines that the content of the letters [written by children] to their parents or closes family members does not show the whole truth about the conditions prevalent at the camp – starvation, beating and diseases. Each letter was redacted and written according to what the guards said. However, even the few things that the children managed to describe are shocking:
"Dear parents, if you can, please find some uppers from leather shoes, both for size 37 wooden shoe soles, and send them to me because I have nothing to walk around in (...) Please send me some grey soap and a spoon because I have nothing to eat with" – these are the words written on the 15th of February 1944 by Halinka Cubrzyńska (12 years old) in a letter to her parents.
Jaś Spychała (12 years old) asked his mum on the 16th of October 1944 for some saccharine": "Fry me 20 pancakes, Mummy (...). Send me a pencil and a rubber. And some onion and mustard. And stamps."
On 21st of August 1944, Marysia informed her parents and siblings that she had grown up: "I have also grown up a lot because when I look at my dresses, they seem shorter, I only wear my dress on Sunday and for work I wear the camp's one. I would love you to see me in it; it makes me look good."
In a letter to her aunt (date unknown), a girl – whose last name was Konarska – wrote that it made her very sad not to be together with her close ones: "I miss you so much. I want to see someone from our family so badly.".
On the other hand, Gertruda Nowak (13 years old) wrote [in her letter of the 2nd of April 1944 to "Dear Rysia", most likely her sister] that: "Jerzy came back healthy from the hospital but now he has fallen ill with pneumonia once again and has water accumulating in his side. I’m very worried about him getting worse.".
When we announced the establishment of the Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism in Łódź, people who wanted to share their knowledge of these times started contacting us. They would disclose unknown facts, indicate places and notify us of photographs and documents. Our historians are searching through both public and private archives. This camp and the tragic history of the little defenceless victims of German crimes remained forgotten for many years. Only now are we finding out the truth about the camp on Przemysłowa Street in Łódź. "We will unearth all the facts and show the whole truth about this camp", assures the Acting Head of the Museum, Ireneusz Maj (PhD).
The Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism. The German Nazi Concentration Camp for Polish Children in Łódź (1942-1945) – which is financed by the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sports and whose establishment was initiated by Mikołaj Pawlak (Ombudsman for Children's Rights) – will be a modern, multimedia museum and educational facility. Children and young people will be able to learn about the most tragic events in our history, while teachers will find expert support and educational materials on the wartime and post-war fate of our youngest citizens.
The idea for the museum was born during the work of the Programme Council for the Commemoration of Polish Children from the Łódź Camp, which was established on the 22nd of December 2020 by the Ombudsman for Children. The initiative of building the Museum of Polish Children was supported by the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda.
