The first mass executions of Polish women in the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp took place in April 1942. About 200 Polish women, brought to the camp with death sentences, were shot in 1941/42. The last execution of 5 Polish women took place on January 5th, 1945. All the women condemned to death behaved with imposing dignity. Even the Germans were impressed by the behavior of the Polish women led to execution (Kiedrzynska, 1965, p.456) .
Above is shown the plate placed in the Polish section of the Ravensbrück Memorial Museum.
The original text on the plate in Polish and German language may be translated as follows:
“Ravensbrück 1939-1945. To commemorate Polish victims. In the camp, 40,000 Polish women, girls and children were imprisoned; 200 were executed – among them Grażyna Chrostowska and her sister; 74 were subjected to the medical experiments, several thousands died of starvation or had been gassed. 8,000 were liberated. If the echo of their voices becomes faint, we will perish”.
On 23rd June, 1996, the plate was consecrated by Pope John Paul II.
Below several photographs with names of executeted Polish political prisoners and dates of the executions.
Eugenia Adamiak Executed on 18.IV.1942Maria Apcio Executed on 18.IV.1942Janina Borkowska Executed on 25.IX.1942Bronisława Cabanówna Executed on 03.X.1942Janina Cabanówna Executed on 03.X.1942Grażyna Chrostowska, Poet, Executed on 18.IV.1942Henryka Dembowska Executed on 25.IX.1942Małgorzata Dembowska Executed on 25.IX.1942Hanna Derecka Executed on 28.V.1942Janina Flak Exececuted on 13.IV.1942Wiktoria Izabela Fryben Executed on 13.IV.1942Danuta Hołownia Executed on 15.III.1943Maria Jaszczukowa Executed on 13.IV.1942Wanda Krąkowska Executed on 28.V.1942Krystyna Krauzówna Executed on 13.IV.1942Halina Krzemińska Executed on 13.IV.1942Zofia Łagodzińska Executed on 13.IV.1942Waclawa Łagodzińska Executed 15.VII.1942Maria Maciejczakówna Executed on 13.IV.1942Krystyna Niemirycz Executed on 16.VII.1942Jadwiga Pobiedzińska Executed on 15.XII.1942Halina Poborcówna Executed on 03.X.1942Irena Poborcówna Executed on 03.X.1942Wanda Polakowska Executed on 25.IX.19.42Emilia Radecka Executed on 18.IV.1942Helena Sawicz Executed on 29.IV.1943Romana Sekuła Executed on 18.IV.1942Halina Staniszewska Executed on 17.VII.1942Zofia Szachowicz Executed on 29.IV.1943Maria Waśniewska Executed on 18.IV.1942Jadwiga Wilgocka Executed on 05.I.1945Stanisława Woźniak Executed on 11.II.1943All of the executed women like the rest of the Polish prisoners in the camp wore the above triangle.
