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On Monday, 18 March, a solemn commemoration of the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Stalag 344 Lamsdorf took place in front of the Monument to the Martyrdom of Prisoners-of-War in Łambinowice. The event, organised by the Museum and the Łambinowice Commune, enjoyed the honorary patronage of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz, the Opole Governor Monika Jurek and the Marshal of the Opole Voivodeship Andrzej Buła.

The ceremony commenced at 12.00. The Museum Director, Dr. Violetta Rezler-Wasielewska, explained the idea behind it and welcomed the participants, while Opole Governor Monika Jurek and Katarzyna Leciejewska, representing the Head of the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression, Lech Parell, who had sent a letter for the occasion, referred in their speeches to the significance of the tragic history of our Site of Remembrance and the resulting warning for the present and future generations. Their words were complemented by Agnieszka Trela, granddaughter of Edward Kłos, and Sonia Waterfall, daughter of Sidney Waterfall, representing the families of the Polish and British prisoners-of-war of Stalag 344 Lamsdorf.

A poignant moment of the ceremony was the pray for the victims of the Lamsdorf camp. It was said by Rev. Major Sebastian Semrau, Chaplain of the 10th Logistics Brigade in Opole and a representative of military ordinariate of the Roman Catholic Church, Rev. Wojciech Pracki from the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession Parish in Opole, Dr. Marek Moroń of the Muslim Religious Association in Poland, Marek Marossanyi from the Jewish Community of Wrocław, and Paweł Cebulski representing the Orthodox Church Military Ordinariate of the Wrocław Garrison.

The roll call of remembrance was read out by Capt. Katarzyna Jedlicka-Stelmaszyk from the guard of honour of the 91st Logistics Battalion in Komprachcice, while the gun salute and the Camp Prayer song were performed by the Representative Military Band of the Land Forces in Wrocław conducted by Sgt. Hubert Walenciak. The ceremony concluded with a laying of flowers and lighting of candles in front of the Monument to the Martyrdom of Prisoners-of-War.

Guests who were still interested in seeing the nearby open-air exhibition, Place with a Scar, went to the area of the former Stalag 318/VIII F (344) Lamsdorf to visit it in the company of the Museum workers.

Photo by: S. Mielnik/CMJW.