Memoria [EN] No. 3 / December 2017 | Page 18

Within the entire scope of works, over 3 000 objects were discovered, with about 300 of them representing exhibition value. The majority of them are constituted by fragments of damaged dishes, bottles and construction elements of barracks. An important group includes nails which had got to the ground during barrack deconstruction works, carried out in late 1944. Personal belongings of camp prisoners are of particular significance among the discovered items, e.g. a toothbrush, fragments of combs, buttons, cutlery, enamelled dishes, medicine bottles and boxes. Some of them were transported by Jews from the Kraków ghetto and the places where they had lived and worked before the war. This refers among others to a fragment of cup probably originating from the Jewish hospital in Kraków. Three plastic badges with the Star of David constitute another interesting artefact.

As a result of archaeological studies, the past of KL Plaszow is being restored in social consciousness. Innocent landscape – empty space explored during the research to a very narrow extent – has turned out to hide thousands of objects and traces dating back to the period of the camp’s functioning. These objects constitute a unique and dramatic proof of camp life, which has now been discovered again. The results of archaeological research performed were included in the scenario of future commemoration of KL Plaszow. Historical objects which have been discovered will form part of permanent exhibition devoted to the past and present of this place.