Tomorrow, we will celebrate the European Day of the Righteous. On this day, we commemorate all those who during World War II heroically helped Jews, often risking their own lives. The day was established by the European Parliament in 2012 to honor the memory of those who opposed the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century.

The newest Polish-English issue of “Varia” magazine was published. This time it summarizes the activities of the State Museum at Majdanek in 2020. Although, due to Covid-19 pandemic, last year it became an unusually difficult challenge to run standard substantial activities, we accomplished a few important projects.

Ruta Wermuth was born in 1928 in the small town of Kolomyja in the Stanisław Voivodship in eastern Poland. Ruta's parents ran a small shop in the center of the town and led a comfortable, middle-class life. Ruta had two older brothers, Paweł and Izrael (nicknamed Salek).

Every year around 27 January, the Museum and Memorial Site in Bełżec pays tribute to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. In Bełżec the Germans murdered at least 430,000 Jewish children, women, and men.

Like in previous years, Museum and Memorial Site in Bełżec joins to the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Due to the situation caused by COVID-19, we have planned online activities for the day.

We are starting a new series devoted to Holocaust survivors, witnesses of history, who have become the depositories of memory. The series contains personal stories of people who experienced hatred, intolerance and violence. Through their testimonies, we keep alive the memory of people and a bygone world that was doomed. Witness accounts are a very important part of remembrance and education and a warning against the consequences of war and racism

On October 26, 2020, Roma and Sinti, victims of the German labor camp in Bełżec, were commemorated. The delegations paid tribute to the victims by laying of flowers and lighting candles.

From October 21, 2020, to January 31, 2021, the Museum and Memorial Site in Bełżec hosts an English-language exhibition "Between life and death. Stories of rescue during the Holocaust", an exhibition devoted to stories of Holocaust survivors and rescuers.

Bunch of keys to the apartment

Star of David pendant

In March this year, in connection with the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, the Museum and Memorial Site in Bełżec was closed and its educational offer was transferred to the Internet, among others to social networking sites. On May 26th the doors of the Museum were re-opened to the public. The exposition and the Museum grounds are made available under a special sanitary regime.

Excerpts from the Old Testament in Hebrew belonging to Jews from Lubycza Królewska.

Fragments of an armbands with a Star of David

Coins

Footwear

Nails

Spoon and plate fragment

Thimbles

Flattened mug

Mouth harmonica element

A piece of gas chamber equipment

Presented video is about Karski witnessed the loading Jewish victims on a train in the Izbica transit ghetto.

The film presents Rudolf Reder's account of the extermination mechanism.

Interview conducted in May 2004. It's part of story about the live in Stanisławów ghetto.