The Auschwitz Museum has published a reprint of a collection of stories for children, compiled by prisoners at the death camp in World War 2.
The stories - Bajki z Auschwitz - were printed illegally by Polish prisoners working in the offices of Nazi architects preparing plans for extension of the camp. According to former camp inmates, about 50 copies of the little book were created, using stolen paper and paints, and printed clandestinely.
The finished books were smuggled out of the camp. Most of the stories were written or translated by Stanisław Bęć.
The book contains six stories altogether: "The adventures of the little black chick" which is probably the first ever children’s story written in Auschwitz; “The story of the Hare, the Fox and the Cockerel” translated from the Czech; “Every Living Thing” describes insects, birds and animals found in fields, gardens and homes – also based on a Czech original; “The Wasps’ Wedding” which is the only story that has survived without its illustrations; “The Selfish Giant” a rhymed version of the story by Oscar Wilde and “The Tales of the Learned Cat” a copy of which the Museum received in 1999.
This is the first book for children by the Auschwitz Museum Press, which since its creation in 1957 has published more than 400 titles of a total 8 million copies, including historical books, memoirs, albums, catalogues and guides in 20 language versions.
Proceeds from the sale of the book of stories for children are particularly to go towards preserving items documenting the fate of children at the death camp, and the so-called childrens’ barracks at Birkenau. (ek)
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