79TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE LIBERATION
OF KL STUTTHOF
Stutthof Memorial
The first soldiers of the 48th Army of the 3rd Byelorussian Front arrived at the Stutthof concentration camp in the early hours of 9 May 1945. Belarusian Front. Then, the Stutthof Concentration Camp housed a relatively small group of prisoners, totalling approximately 150. The Germans had already "evacuated" the others in two stages. In January 1945, nearly 30,000 inmates of Stutthof Concentration Camp were sent on a murderous Death March. A few months later, in April, the evacuation by sea begins. A significant number of prisoners are killed or murdered.
Teofil Białowąs was one of the individuals fortunate enough to witness the liberation. This is how he recalled the morning of 9 May 1945: “Describing the precise moment of liberation is challenging for me, as it transpired so swiftly and without any indication. The moment of liberation occurred during our regular morning routine, just like any other day. This was on 9 May 1945. Not a single gunshot was audible, yet the camp had experienced several more bomb attacks the day before. The Germans did not defend the camp; instead, they focused on fighting at sea and in the forest. Unfortunately, the camp was also hit by accidental shells, resulting in the death of numerous inmates. On that day, we observed Germans who were unarmed, and a disorderly group of Germans also emerged from the forest, surrendering their weapons to the commandant. Within a few minutes, a Russian military jeep speeds through the gate, carrying a small, stocky lieutenant. I do not recall the name. The Germans were already lined up in front of the building. The Russians immediately greeted us and began shouting. The lieutenant said: "You are free; you can now go each to your various homes...".
Like every year, the anniversary festivities at the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo were attended by many government officials from both the central and local levels, students from schools in the Pomeranian region, representatives from various museum and cultural organisations, and individuals for whom this day holds significance. We are referring to former prisoners of the Stutthof concentration camp, along with their respective families. Attendees this year included Ms Maria Kowalska, Ms Helena Majkowska and Mr Jan Brodziński.
However, they did not address those gathered at the Monument to Struggle and Martyrdom. This was done by Mr Tadeusz Rydzewski, who died in October 2022. We recorded an interview with him a few months before his death.
Subsequently, Piotr Tarnowski, the Director of the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo, delivered the following statement during his speech: “As we stand here, on the hallowed grounds of the Stutthof concentration camp, a place that bears the indelible scars of history, I employ you to engage in a moment of reflection. Here, we find ourselves amidst a memory that extends beyond our individual encounters, within a space that bears witness to truths more devastating than words can convey. In light of this memory and the veracity of our diverse religious and ideological principles, let us contemplate jointly: what is the reason for history's apparent cyclical nature? Are we indeed condemned to endlessly replicate the errors of the past?
Let us use this moment of contemplation as a platform to ponder our actions and their consequences for future generations. What actions can we individually take to ensure a future devoid of past errors? Let's reflect on this ... because #WeAreMemory."
The events of the next two days demonstrated the diverse ways we can remember. For the 27th time, the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo, in collaboration with the Stutthof Victims' Memorial Primary School, organised the National Remembrance Run on 10th May. More than 260 participants from schools in the Nowy Dwór county participated in the event. The following day, the 2nd Run and March in Memory of the Victims of KL Stutthof took place. Nearly 50 contestants covered a 10 km route, visiting locations associated with the camp's history and the prisoners' plight. Both events were held under the Honorary Patronage of the Starost of Nowodworski.
Thank you all for joining us in creating the #MemoryCoalition.
9 May 1945 marked the end of the 2,077-day ordeal endured by the inmates of the Stutthof camp. This year, we commemorate the 70th anniversary of those occurrences.