One of the symbols of the extermination of Poles in Auschwitz is the first transport of Polish political prisoners, which was deported to this camp eighty-three years ago. Since 2006 by decision of the Polish Sejm on 14 June, it is celebrated as the National Day of Memory of the Victims of German Nazi Concentration and Extinction Camps.
The prisoners of the first transport came mainly from intelligence. They were mostly very young people. respective of them were Jewish. Their destiny was portrayed by Irena Strzeleck in a survey entitled "Men – Transport of June 14, 1940 – 728 people with numbers from 31 to 758", which was published in the "Book of Memory. Transports of Poles to Auschwitz from Krakow and another towns of confederate Poland 1940-1944”, Warsaw-Oświęcim 2002.
The first transport besides included a large group of patriotic youth arrested as part of the A-B action against Polish intelligence. Among them was 18-year-old Zbigniew Pradziuk, born 17 July 1921 in Moraczev (no data available), died in Auschwitz Concentration Camp 10 months later. Currently, before the eighty-third anniversary of deportation of the first Poles to Auschwitz, on the initiative of the Institute of War Loss. Jan Karski, posters with his likeness are spread in various places in Warsaw, especially many of them are placed on bus stops.
Adam Cyra
Auschwitz, 6 June 2023.
Think Poland, No. 25-26 (18-25.06.2023)
