The Presence of Absence

The presence of absence and the absence of presence has been a prominent theme throughout this course. I have stumbled upon many places in Poland that have reminded me of this theme. One place in particular that stood out to me as symbolizing this theme is Mariana Kolodzieja’s art exhibit. Mariana Kolodzieja was a Polish Christian holocaust survivor. He became one of the first prisoners in the 1940 transport to Auschwitz, his number was 432. In the absence of speech, Mariana chose to portray his personal experience of the Shoah using stunning images and illustrations. Mariana stated,

“… this is not an exhibition, nor art. These are not pictures. These are words locked in drawings. /…/ I propose a journey by way of this labyrinth marked by the experience of the fabric of death. Please, read my designed words, words born also from the yearning for clarity of criteria, from the yearning to understand what separates good from evil, truth from lie, art from appearance. /…/ It is a rendering of honor to all those who have vanished in the ashes.” (Mariana Kolodzieja, nr 432)

Mariana is stating that the presence of his art is honoring the absence of the 6 million lives lost. He asks visitors to read his work, to begin to understand his experience and to understand the difference between good and evil. He wants us to remember and honor those who lost their lives in this atrocious battle of hate.

Mariana’s artwork often contained sketches of Maximillian Kolbe. As I stated before in my previous blog post, Maximillian Kolbe was a Franciscan friar who became a prisoner in Auschwitz. He heroically gave his life for another man in order to save him from his ultimate death. Kolbe represented the presence of love when it was absent, the presence of kindness when it was scarce, and the presence of hope when there was none. I believe Mariana was fascinated with Kolbe because of the effect his presence had on the morale of the other prisoners. Another example of the absence of hate and the presence of kindness is shown in the memoir The Holocaust Kingdom by Alexander Donat. Alexander recalls a particular instance when compassion was expressed in a place where it was far too absent. He was on his way to the Radom ghetto after leaving Lublin. Alexander as well as several other prisoners were desperate, exhausted, and ultimately dying. They were invited to this Jewish man’s home for dinner on the Sabbath. Not only was Alexander “well” fed, but he also received medical attention as well as rations from other Jewish people in the ghetto. This act of kindness awakened the humanity in Alexander.

This painting was completed by Mariana Kolodzieja. The man illustrated in this painting is Maximillian Kolbe, number 16620. He is wearing a crown of thorns to represent that his martyrdom is that of Jesus.

The theme, the presence of absence and the absence of presence, can also be visible in an object itself rather than an exact event or location. This object is a flower. Flowers are used by Christians as a way to pay respect and honor those who have passed whereas someone who follows Judaism uses stones. Flowers represent beauty, growth, renewal, and hope. When I was visiting Auschwitz II Birkenau, I noticed beautiful white roses placed intermediately throughout the camp. Block number 16A had the most flowers. This block was used to imprison polish children of war. Many perished in the gas chamber as well as from the horrendous conditions. The roses were perfectly aligned on a barrack bed. The presence of the roses represents the absence of the polish children as well as all those who lost their lives in Birkenau, they represent hope for a better future. This theme was also noticeable when visiting the town of Oswiecim. We visited a field that once held a beautiful synagogue. This synagogue was the biggest in the town at the time, it could hold 2000 people. It was unfortunately destroyed by the Nazi regime during the Shoah. In the vacant space of what was a synagogue now grows angelic yellow flowers. The presence of the blooming flowers represents the absence of the synagogue. It was a remarkable site.

This image depicts the white roses on the bed in barrack 16A. A tribute to the children of war who lost their lives in the hell of Auschwitz II Birkenau.

This image portrays the angelic yellow flowers that grow and bloom in the vacant field where a synagogue once stood.