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Director of the Auschwitz Museum awarded the Belgian Order of the Crown
Director of the State Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, and also the President of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, dr Piotr M.A. Cywiński, has been awarded the Belgian Order of the Crown. According to the King Albert II Coburg's will, the Knight's Cross of the Order was awarded by the Ambassador of Belgium, His Eminence Raoul Delcorde. The special ceremony took place in the Ambassador's residence on 12 June 2012.
"For everything that you do to preserve the memory about Auschwitz-Birkenau, for your involvement in European values and for excellent co-operation with Belgian authorities, I recommended awarding this Order to you to my King Albert II," said the Ambassador Delcorde, who reminded the audience the immense involvement of Piotr Cywiński in the preservation of authenticity of Auschwitz for future generations through, inter alia, in the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
"Last year more than 1.4 million people visited the Auschwitz Memorial which constituted the historical record. I have had the opportunity lately to be there with the Prime Minister of Belgium and a over 900 members group of Belgian and European youth, and to become convinced that the visit in the former camp is an event of special importance," added Raoul Delcorde.
First and foremost, Piotr Cywiński thanked the persons involved in establishment of the Perpetual Fund of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, as well as the conservationists who developed the principles of the Global Preservation Plan for the Memorial Site. "We are opening today a completely new chapter in European and global perception of the Holocaust. Together we are protecting the so expressive authenticity of the only one out of the large German Nazi death camps, whose clear expression has been preserved until today. This is the expression of this Memorial Site today which supplements testimonials and depositions of the generation of witnesses and survivors," said the Director, adding that these efforts shall allow future generations to understand the spirit of humanity in the most difficult years of contemporary Europe.
The ceremony took place in the presence of the members of the International Auschwitz Council, Marian Turski, Kazimierz Albin, Agnieszka Magdziak-Miszewska and Fr. Grzegorz Michalczyk, the representatives of the government Republic of Poland, including the Vice-Minister of Culture and National Heritage Małgorzata Omilanowska, ambassadors, the Head Rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich, Piotr Kadlčik, the Chairman of the Jewish Communities Association in the Republic of Poland, the management and employees of the Auschwitz Museum, as well as families and invited guests.
The Order of the Crown of the Kingdom of Belgium is one of the highest Belgian orders. It is awarded by virtue of the royal decree in recognition of the achievements, such as artistic, literary or scientific. The Order contains five classes as well as two palms and three medals.
Piotr Cywiński dedicated the ceremony to three young Belgians, who on 19 April 1943, with a red flashlight and one pistol stopped the twentieth transport of Belgian Jews, going from Mechelen to Auschwitz, opened one of the carriages and released 17 Jews. It was the only case in the scale of the whole Europe, when the transportation heading to the death camp was attacked.
Prior to the German occupation approximately 90 thousand Jews inhabited Belgium. Fleeing from the Germans approximately 30 thousand Jews left the country, and a further 8 thousand were deported to France by occupational German government. From Belgium to Auschwitz, mainly from the camps established in Malines (Mechelen) and Breendonk, 24906 Jews were deported. Close to 17 thousand were killed in gas chambers shortly following the selection, and 7948 were registered in the camp. As many as 1335 persons returned to Belgium.
On 19 April 1943 the twentieth transport of deported Jews started in Malines. In freight wagons the total of 1631 men, women and children were locked. A special carriage with 19 Jews, members of the resistance movement and fugitives from prior transports, was attached to the train. The train was escorted by 16 Germans. Three students and members of the resistance movement decided to stop the train. Youra Livschitz, Robert Maistriau and Jean Franklemon, armed with one pistol and a lantern wrapped with red paper (a signal of danger on tracks) stopped the train. They managed to open one carriage and to release 17 persons. Later on, from the same train, 231 persons managed to jump off: 90 Jews were captured, 26 killed, and 115 managed to flee. The transport reached the Auschwitz camp on 22 April 1943. Following the selection, 531 persons were registered in the camp. The rest were killed shortly afterwards in a gas chamber.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation aims at raising EUR 120 million for the Perpetual Fund. The annual interest of EUR 4-5 million will make it possible to plan and systematically carry out essential presrvation work in the area of the Memorial Site within the framework of the Global Preservation Plan, developed by specialists. Until now, the establishment of the Perpetual Fund has been supported by closely to 20 countries. Payments and pledged payments have already exceeded EUR 97 million.
