In the Polish village of Harmeze, prayer intertwines with the memory of those who suffered and perished in the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. Once a “subcamp “of Auschwitz, Harmeze is now home to a Franciscan monastery and the St. Maximilian Center, a place of prayer, reflection, and education about the victims of the Holocaust.By Karol DarmorosHarmeze bears the scars of history. In the spring of 1941, the village was depopulated and demolished by the Nazis, who established the Harmense subcamp in its place. Prisoners were forced to endure gruelling labour under brutal conditions, working at large fishponds into which the ashes of Auschwitz-Birkenau victims were often discarded.Speaking to Vatican Radio–Vatican News, Father Kazimierz Malinowski, director of the St. Maximilian Center, discusses the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation and the enduring significance of memory and love in confronting the darkest chapters of human history. “There has always been an awareness of the unique weight of this place,” explains Father Malinowski. “That’s why we Franciscans are here. The Center was founded out of profound gratitude to God for St. Maximilian Kolbe and his canonization. Cardinal Franciszek Macharski designated this place, which used to be a part of the camp.”St. Maximilian Center: A Sanctuary of Victorious LoveToday, the Center serves as a hub of prayer and spiritual formation. This mission will take on special significance on January 27, when a Mass will be celebrated to mark the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation. Representatives from nearly 60 nations and international organizations—including monarchs, presidents, and government officials—will gather for the commemoration at the gates of Birkenau.Known as the Sanctuary of Victorious Love, the Center offers a profound response to the question, “Where was God in Auschwitz?” Father Malinowski reflects on this: “The answer lies in the testimony of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who gave his life for fellow prisoner Franciszek Gajowniczek. Through his sacrifice, St. Maximilian bore witness to God’s victorious love—a love that could prevail even in the face of unimaginable evil. On July 29, 1941, he made the ultimate offering of his life in the camp’s yard.””Memory Frames” by Marian Kołodziej: Art and ReflectionOne of the Center’s most poignant features is the exhibition Memory Frames: Labyrinths, created by Marian Kołodziej, a celebrated stage designer and Auschwitz survivor from the first transport of prisoners. It was only 50 years after the war, following a stroke and partial paralysis, that Kołodziej confronted his camp trauma through art.“The exhibition can be seen as a dialogue between Kołodziej and St. Maximilian—a conversation about values and the moral boundaries humans must not cross to preserve dignity and humanity,” explains Father Malinowski. “This is a central theme of the exhibition, which deeply reso
Aniversarea de la Auschwitz: Apel către memorie și speranță
