Barn in Zawady, photo: http://tesknie.com/A controversial Polish artist wants to set a barn on fire to mark the anniversary of the massacre of Jewish community in Jedwabne town during World War II.
On July 10, 1941, after the German takeover of the north-eastern town of Jedwabne from Soviet troops, the town became the site of the infamous Jedwabne pogrom with an estimated 340 Jews burnt alive in a barn.
The crime was committed by a mob of Polish inhabitants of the town in the presence of Nazi soldiers. Before WW II Jedwabne was a Polish town with a very significant Jewish community consisting of about 750 people.
Rafal Betlejewski, an artist known for a controversial art project called “I miss you Jew”, is going to mark the 69th anniversary of the tragic event by setting another barn on fire. “This drastic act is an attempt to revive the community of suffering. I would like to wake up from a pharmacological coma,” said Betlejewski.
The artist asked Poles to write down their sins on white pieces of paper which will be burnt in the barn. “These pieces of paper will symbolize all malevolent thoughts about Jews, which are a burden to our conscious. It will be a joint confession,” said Betlejewski.
Jan Gross, author of a controversial book “Neigbours: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne” will be present at the burning ceremony, which will take place in the eastern village of Zawady, near Tomaszow Mazowiecki.
During the burning an orchestra of firemen from Zawady will play and village housewives will prepare a snack for guests.
Local authorities do not agree for burning of the barn but Betlejewski is not afraid of consequences. “The barn will burn down anyway, the village-mayor is a saboteur,” said the artist. (mg/jb)
Audio by Michal Kubicki
Source: Gazeta Wyborcza
Related links:
Rediscovering Poland's Jewish past , polishradio.pl 8.03.2010
http://tesknie.com
Thenews.pl |
