News
National tragedy. Eternal rest...
Today, on April 10, 2010, Polish president Lech Kaczyński died in a plane crash near Smolensk. He headed almost a hundred person delegation to pay homage to Polish officers murdered 70 years ago in Katyn. All members of the delegation died in the catastrophe: The Spouse of the President, the highest officials of the Polish State, Members of Parliament, bishops and chaplains, generals and officers of the Polish Army, veterans, representatives of Katyń Families and other organizations, officials of the Government Protection Bureau and the crew of the aircraft.
Many of these people were worthy of merit for the Polish State. Among them there were people whose relationship with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum was exceptionally strong. Tomasz Merta, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Culture and National Heirtage as well as the General Inspector of Monuments, was a man of exceptional insight, understanding and personal sacrifice for the cause of historical memory and the education of new generations. Andrzej Przewoźnik, the Secretary-General of the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites, a member of the Council of our Museum, left behind countless established Memorials as well as military and martyrdom commemorating sites in Poland and abroad. Among the victims there was also priest Roman Indrzejczyk, the chaplain of the President, who on January 27, 2010 said the prayer "Eternal rest" in Birkenau for the victims of Auschwitz. Among the victims of this disaster there was also a Lieutenant Colonel Czesław Cywiński, the President of the Board of the World Association of Home Army Soldiers, an uncle of the Director of our Museum.
We express our deep sympathy with the families and relatives of the victims.
and let perpetual light shine upon them.”
