The Polish Association of Former Political Prisoners of Hitlerite Prisons and Concentration Camps has been active since May 1946. In its first year of operation, it had 1,735 members. Today, the Association brings together 31 members, including 17 former prisoners of KL Lublin.
The Association focuses on providing support to former prisoners of German concentration camps. Since its inception, it has maintained close cooperation with the State Museum at Majdanek. Particularly noteworthy is its commitment to preserving the memory of events from World War II, especially through meetings and educational activities with young people.
The commemorations began with a solemn Holy Mass at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church in Lublin. This was followed by an educational session for students from Lublin secondary schools, held at the Visitor Service Centre of the State Museum at Majdanek.
During the programme, the students learned about the fate of children from the Zamość region who were imprisoned at Majdanek during the war. They also listened to the testimonies of witnesses to history.
As part of the anniversary commemorations, flowers were laid at the Gate–Monument in tribute to the victims of Majdanek. The ceremony then continued with addresses delivered by invited guests.
Welcoming the participants, Jadwiga Wakulska, President of the Lublin Branch of the Association, recalled the organisation’s mission and key activities. “During our meetings with young people, we share our wartime experiences with them [...]. We also address difficult but extremely important topics, discussing them with both Polish and German youth. We want the memory of these events to endure and not be forgotten,” she emphasized.
In his address, Jakub Stefaniak, Deputy Head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, spoke directly to the survivors: “Your mission is to pass on your experiences to others. Those experiences are diverse, but I believe they can be distilled into a single message: all forms of segregation are wrong.”
The anniversary gathering also provided an opportunity to present decorations and commemorative statuettes. Former prisoners were honoured with the Pro Bono Poloniae and Pro Patria medals in recognition of their service and dedication to preserving historical memory.To mark the occasion, the Association published a special volume summarizing its 80 years of activity and service.
The publication, Pamięć silniejsza od czasu [Memory Stronger Than Time], is richly illustrated with photographs and archival materials from the Association’s Lublin Branch collections and the Archives of the State Museum at Majdanek. The book is further enriched with excerpts from the Association’s chronicle and quotations from the annual reports of the Board’s meetings.
The publication was funded by the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression.
