"WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND" Gimnazjum No. 2 in Brzeszcze

A group of pupils from classes: Ib, Ic, Id, Ie and IIa ( 33 pupils in total ) from Gimnazjum No. 2 in Brzeszcze undertook the realization of project having on aim learning the history of their hometown and the closest neighbourhood. Young people are particularly interested in the period of world war II because they live in the vicinity of the largest extermination camp – KL Auschwitz - Birkenau, and in their hometown was one of many sub-camps - KL Jawischowitz.
The first task, they set for themselves was participation in the opening of the museum, which came into being in the former camp baths buildning on the premises of the mentioned sub-camp.

The participants of the ceremony heard a lecture by Mrs A. Papla, a retired teacher who at present is a tour guide at State Museum KL Auschwitz - Birkenau. She told us about the history of this place and introduced life and working conditions of the prisoners.

We found out many details about the everyday existence of placed here people, we heard from doctor A. Strzelecki's mouth information about organization of work, treatment of prisoners, their mutual relations, unimaginable everyday hardships and relations with neighbouring civil population, which in very many incidents helped the prisoners despite that such help was severely forbidden and even more severely punished.
The pictures portray expositions and souvenirs from that period – all exhibits are authentic.

After the opening ceremony of the museum we went to Culture Centre in Brzeszcze for a meeting with unusual guest, Mr August Kowalczyk.
In specially prepared for this occasion scenery our guest told us his war story.
We listened to it in full concentration.We heard an incredible story of a man who as a seventeen-year-old boy landed in KL Auschwitz - Birkenau with the first political prisoners transport from Tarnow only because he wanted to cross the Romanian border and fight for the freedom of his country. We found out that he managed to run away and survive thanks to help of neighbouring civil population. This meeting made a huge impression on us, because we heard a man who in an exceptionally interesting way told us what he himself survived.
We believe that such meetings carry unusual emotional load, because they tell authentic stories of real people which cannot be substituted by even the best book or film, therefore we will try during the realization of this project reach the people who have survived so they could tell us their story.