PROJECT
„DIESE STADT IST JUDENFREI ”
The project has resulted in the creation of a large-scale exhibition, an album, a documentary film and a folder, all aimed at presenting the history of the Holocaust of Pomeranian Jews.
Study visits complemented the implementation of the key undertakings. In January, the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo was visited by project partners, representatives of the Yad Mordechai Museum and the Polish Institute in Tel Aviv. It was a unique opportunity to exchange experiences and discuss cooperation in the area of education and exhibitions.
Meanwhile, on 1 March 2022, the exhibition 'Diese Stadt ist Judenfrei' - The extermination of Polish Jews in Pomerania - opened at the Yad Mordechai Museum. Its authors are Polish and Israeli historians. They include the staff of the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo: Prof. Bogdan Chrzanowski and Danuta Drywa, PhD. The official opening of the exhibition was attended by a delegation from our Museum, headed by Director Piotr Tarnowski.
The visit to Israel was also complemented by numerous meetings and talks held at the Polish Institute in Tel Aviv and the Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem, among others. They provided an excellent opportunity to recount the history of KL Stutthof and the fate of its prisoners to the Israeli audience. Additionally, the time was also used to present the museum's activities, with a particular focus on education.
In mid-March, a trilingual, richly illustrated publication in Polish, English and Hebrew entitled 'Diese Stadt ist Judenfrei' - the extermination of Polish Jews in Pomerania. It complements the exhibition and is an attempt to present this issue comprehensively.
The project's final phase consisted of a visit to the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo by representatives of the Ministry of Education of Israel and the most important museum institutions dealing with subjects related to World War II and the Holocaust. The delegation comprised, among others, the staff of Yad Vashem Institute, Menachem Begin Center, Ghetto Fighters Museum, Moreshet - Mordechai Anielewicz Memorial and Association of Holocaust Guides in Israel. During the nearly week-long stay, the delegation visited the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo, the Katyn Museum, the Jewish Historical Institute, the Museum of the Second World War and the Żuławy Historical Park. The highlight of the visit was a meeting with members of the Jewish Religious Community in Gdańsk.
During the project, intensive efforts were undertaken to develop and deepen contacts between Polish and Israeli institutions. The Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo, as the project's host institution, gained new experience and a better understanding of the direction of the changes being introduced. Most importantly, however, the staff of the Museum met friends who share a similar view of history and the significance of educating future generations following the passing of the generation of witnesses to history.
The project "Diese Stadt ist Judenfrei - Holocaust of Polish Jews in Pomerania" is drawing to an end. The project is financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage within the framework of the 'Inspiring Culture' programme. The project, whose beneficiary is the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo, is carried out in partnership with the Polish Institute in Tel Aviv and Israeli museums: Yad Mordechai and Mashmaut Centre.
Stutthof Memorial