Paintings from a Survivor

Some of the paintings of Marian Kolodziej During one of our final days in Poland, we were able to look at the astonishing paintings of Marian Kolodziej, one of the first prisoners at Auschwitz I. After his liberation, Kolodziej became a set designer for theater productions and didn't want to share his experiences about the Shoah. However, after he suffered a stroke, he began to draw out his memories of the Shoah. These paintings are located under...

Read More

Wall of Death

A reconstruction of the Wall of Death During our first time visiting the location of Auschwitz I, we learned about the Wall of Death, locating right next to Block of 11, a place of pure horror. This building was responsible for the torture and murder of thousands of people, including Father Maximilian Kolbe, who eventually became a saint after his martyrdom. Not only that, but the first tests of Zyklon B were used down in the basements of Block...

Read More

In Wadowice

The central church at Wadowice, Poland While visiting Wadowice during our first full day in Poland, we learned about the childhood of Pope John Paul II. Learning about his living situation, how he was brought up, and what the community was like back when John Paul II was growing up gave us more insight into the relations between Christians and Jews before the start of World War II. We also attended a Sunday Mass at the central church located...

Read More