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Last week the Site of National Remembrance in Łambinowice was a space full of joint work, learning about history and building Polish-German dialogue. We hosted a group of youth from Upper Swabia, who were taking part in the project “Together for Peace” launched by the German War Graves Commission (Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge).

There were 22 young people at the ages between 16 and 22 years, who came to Łambinowice accompanied by their supervisor. Their stay was part of the many-year initiative of the Volksbund – since 1962 youth from Upper Swabia have been visiting sites of remembrance and war cemeteries in different parts of Europe, helping in upkeeping them. The work goes together with an educational programme aimed at getting acquainted with the history and culture of the visited regions.

So it was this time. First, the participants learned the history of the Site of National Remembrance in Łambinowice, then – for a few days – were doing cleaning work on the remnants of the camp barracks. Their action had not only a practical dimension: the direct contact with material traces of history offered an opportunity to talk about the fates of people who had been staying in the Lamsdorf camps, as well as about the significance of preserving the memory of tragic experiences of wars.

The stay ended on 21 August with summing up the work done. The participants lighted candles under the Monument of Martyrdom of Prisoners-of-War and in the Cemetery dedicated to Victims of the Labour Camp in Łambinowice. That was a symbolic finale to the few days of joint work in the place marked with wars and captivity, and – at the same time – a reminder that care for their material traces can make a starting point for meetings, dialogue and building mutual understanding.

Photo by Z. Szlęg/CMJW.