about

There are hundreds or even thousands of forgotten, not commemorated graves of the Holocaust victims in Polish cities and villages. These are the resting places of Polish Jews whose fates and names are often forgotten. Our mission is to find, locate and explore these places and eventually commemorate them in in accordance with Jewish law and in cooperation with representatives of the local community.

The passing time works to our disadvantage, the last witnesses of the Holocaust pass away, whose testimony is crucial for the success of the search conducted by the Foundation.

Context

The term Holocaust or the near total annihilation of the European Jewry between 1939 and 1945 immediately evokes the image of extermination camps, such as Auschwitz and Treblinka. Meanwhile, the region of Central and Eastern Europe, including the entire territory of this country, is heavily dotted with the forgotten graves of Jews murdered in what came to be known as the Holocaust by bullets. Its victims rest in unmarked graves scattered around forests, roadside ditches and fields. In most cases, the exact locations of these nameless graves and the number of victims resting in them remain unknown to both researchers and the descendants of local Jewish communities, while they are still preserved in the memory of the local communities.

Mission

Our mission is to search for, locate, study and commemorate the forgotten graves of the Holocaust victims. We support local communities in coming to terms with the past and dealing with the difficult heritage of World War II. We are committed to passing on the stories we discover to future generations, in order to build awareness of the former inhabitants of Poland and to restore the memory of their lives.

How to help

If you know about a forgotten Jewish grave from the war time, its location and/or its history, write to us: kontakt@zapomniane.org.

Researchers and experts interested in the material we collect or wanting to join the Foundation’s work are invited to contact us by email or visit our headquarters at 6 Twarda Street.

People who appreciate our work are encouraged to follow our ongoing activities and provide financial support, which can help develop them.

You can support us through Patronite.

You can also support us via Stripe.

Statutory objectives

  1. Searching for, locating and commemorating forgotten graves of Holocaust victims.
  2. Reconstructing the fate of the victims, the course of executions and gathering as many details as possible about individual people.
  3. Preserving the memory of each of the victims of Nazi crimes.
  4. Gathering documentation, collecting and archiving eyewitness accounts of Nazi genocide.
  5. Dissemination of knowledge about the Holocaust as well as about the Jewish history and traditions, and its transmission to the future generations who will no longer have direct contact with the generation that experienced the Holocaust.
  6. Engagement of local communities in the recovery of knowledge about the Jewish past of their towns and villages, and assisting them in the process of discovery and preservation of their local heritage.
  7. Raising awareness about the local historical and cultural heritage among the inhabitants of Polish towns and villages.
  8. Undertaking educational initiatives aimed at the transmission of local Jewish history and heritage to new generations and at counteracting any manifestations of intolerance, discrimination, xenophobia and, in particular, antisemitism.
  9. Promoting tolerance and respect for human rights.
  10. Protection of the national heritage and culture, including Jewish culture related places.
  11. Supporting local Polish communities in coming to terms with the past and overcoming the trauma caused by the tragic end of the Polish-Jewish coexistence.
  12. Involving local authorities and social partners and leaders in taking responsibility for the local Polish-Jewish heritage.

When carrying out their tasks, the team of the Zapomniane Foundation and its employees are guided by the best interests of the child and their best interests, perceiving children as partners in building a safe, friendly and mutually respectful space, in accordance with the adopted Child protection policy

Contact:

Email: kontakt@zapomniane.org

Foundation’s details:

Fundacja Zapomniane

KRS (Court Register Number) – 0000508923

NIP (Tax Identification Numnber) – 5252588113

REGON (Business Registry Number) – 147241480

Bank account number PLN

12 2490 0005 0000 4520 9684 8580 Alior Bank

Bank account number EUR

Alior Bank SWIFT code: ALBPPLPW

BIC Alior Bank code: ALBPPLPW

IBAN Alior Bank: PL80249000050000460095535935