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25.03.2022

Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022

24 March — it was on this day 78 years ago in Markowa in the Podkarpacie region that the Germans murdered the eight-person Ulma family alongside with the Jews they were hiding from the Goldman, Didner and Grünfeld families. The Ulmas were posthumously honored with the Righteous Among the Nations title. Their beatification process in the Catholic Church is underway. The Ulma Family Museum, established on the initiative — and with the participation of the Institute of National Remembrance — is currently operating in Markowa.

Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
Celebrations of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation — Markowa, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
The concert "Psalms of Peace and Reconciliation" devoted to Polish Righteous Among the Nations -- Rzeszów, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
The concert "Psalms of Peace and Reconciliation" devoted to Polish Righteous Among the Nations -- Rzeszów, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
The concert "Psalms of Peace and Reconciliation" devoted to Polish Righteous Among the Nations -- Rzeszów, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
The concert "Psalms of Peace and Reconciliation" devoted to Polish Righteous Among the Nations -- Rzeszów, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
The concert "Psalms of Peace and Reconciliation" devoted to Polish Righteous Among the Nations -- Rzeszów, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
The concert "Psalms of Peace and Reconciliation" devoted to Polish Righteous Among the Nations -- Rzeszów, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
The concert "Psalms of Peace and Reconciliation" devoted to Polish Righteous Among the Nations -- Rzeszów, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
The concert "Psalms of Peace and Reconciliation" devoted to Polish Righteous Among the Nations -- Rzeszów, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
The concert "Psalms of Peace and Reconciliation" devoted to Polish Righteous Among the Nations -- Rzeszów, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper
The concert "Psalms of Peace and Reconciliation" devoted to Polish Righteous Among the Nations -- Rzeszów, 24 March 2022. Photo: S. Kasper

During this year's celebrations, with the participation of the Deputy President of the IPN, Mateusz Szpytma, Ph.D.,  plaques on the Memorial Wall at the premises of the Ulma Family Museum were unveiled to commemorate the members of the “Ładoś Group” which organized and produced illegal Latin American passports during World War II. The passports were then handed over to European Jews to save them from extermination. The “Ładoś Group” consisted of, among others: Aleksander Ładoś, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Bern, his Deputy Stefan Ryniewicz, Consul Konstanty Rokicki, as well as the Attache of the Embassy, ​​Juliusz Kuehl. Their partners were two Jewish organizations - the RELICO Committee headed by Abraham Silberschein and the Swiss branch of Aguda Yisroel led by Chaim Eiss. During the speeches the history of the “Ładoś Group” was recalled.

After the ceremony the participants went to the cemetery in Markowa, where flowers were laid at the Ulma family grave and at the graves of other Markowa residents who helped Jews during German occupation. At the end of the celebrations, a mass for Poles rescuing Jews during the World War II and the beatification of the Servants of God — the Ulma family, was held in the local church of St. Dorota, presided by Archbishop Adam Szal.

In the evening, the Deputy President of the IPN, Mateusz Szpytma, Ph.D., took part in the solemn concert titled "Psalms of Peace and Reconciliation" devoted to Polish Righteous Among the Nations. The concert was held at the A. Malawski Podkarpacka Philharmonic in Rzeszów as part of the Festival of Davidic Psalms "Honoring the Righteous and the Survivors". The event was accompanied by an ecumenical prayer attended by the Latin Archbishop of Lviv Mieczysław Mokrzycki, the Archbishop of Przemyśl Adam Szal and the Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich. Prayers for peace in Ukraine were also said.

 

Read more about Poles Saving Jews and the “Ładoś list”


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