Survivors' Day is an annual event accompanying the commemoration of the liquidation of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto, which nurtures the memory of the past in a multidimensional way through artistic actions, discussions, and meetings with witnesses to history. This day is a tribute to life, survival, and hope. This year's events on August 27 will focus, among other things, on the motif of the tree of life and the figure of the outstanding sculptor Alina Szapocznikow.
! All afternoon events on this day take place in the space of Survivors' Park (Park Ocalałych). The walk with Patrycja Dołowy starts at Plac Kościelny !
11:00 AM – Rooting. In the Footsteps of Here-There-Once-Today [PL/ENG]
-
Led by: Patrycja Dołowy
-
Historical commentary: Milena Wicepolska-Góralczyk
-
Special guest: Hana Svirsky (Survivor)
-
Starting point: Plac Kościelny
-
Registration: Mandatory registration at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
About the event:
Last year, the author of the site-specific project "Memory Map. Here-there-once-today", together with Jewish descendants of Łódź residents living in various corners of the world, woven their personal and family stories into the fabric of their ancestors' city. In each visited location, a small object was placed, and herbs were planted. Over time, further stories and new generations of descendants emerged in Łódź.
This year, we will help these stories settle and take root in the urban space. We will follow the trail of private stories, which, thanks to the guiding commentary of Milena Wicepolska, will intertwine with the official history of Łódź. A special guest of the walk will be Hana Svirsky—saved from the ghetto and the Holocaust by her nanny, Zofia Libich.
Survivors' Park (Park Ocalałych) – Outdoor Events
Admission to all events in Survivors' Park is free.
-
4:00 PM – Awarding of Trees of Memory [PL/ENG]
Ceremony of awarding Trees of Memory to the families of Survivors of the Łódź Ghetto, including a symbolic tree dedicated to Alina Szapocznikow.
-
5:00 PM – Tree of Life. Exercises in Tenderness
Performative and artistic actions by Ola Ignasiak in the space of Survivors' Park.
-
5:30 PM – Dance Performance (Final of the "Summer in the Theatre" project)
Youth expressive dance performance inspired by the work of Alina Szapocznikow.
-
6:00 PM – YEAR OF ALINA SZAPOCZNIKOW: Meeting on Her Work [PL/ENG]
A conversation about the outstanding sculptor who possessed an extraordinary "appetite for life". Iza Adamczewska will speak with writers and art critics Weronika Kostyrko and Marek Beylin.
7:30 PM – Concert "Litzmannstadt Memorial"
-
Venue: Survivors' Park (Park Ocalałych)
About the concert:
The "Litzmannstadt Memorial" project is a moving musical event created specially on the occasion of the 82nd anniversary of the liquidation of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto. The initiator and heart of the endeavor is Mikołaj Trzaska—a saxophonist, composer, and proponent of contemporary intuitive music, who for years has deeply engaged with themes of Jewish fate, Jewish tradition, and wartime traumas in his art.
The concert is an attempt to build an emotional community and work through difficult experiences through art that brings catharsis and empathy. The culminating point of the program will be the premiere of a piece dedicated to Marian Turski—a Survivor of the Łódź Ghetto and an important moral authority.
Performers:
-
Mikołaj Trzaska – saxophone, bass clarinet
-
Olo Walicki – double bass
-
Macio Moretti – drums
-
Remont Pomp Band: Magdalena Spaleniak, Wojciech Birtus, Sebastian Włodarek, Jacek Cieślicki, Jan Skiba, Miriam Porębska, Jarosław Marciszewski, Małgorzata Mleczko-Marciszewska
Survivors' Day accompanies the commemoration of the 82nd anniversary of the liquidation of the Litzmannstadt Ghetto.
Co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund – a state purpose fund. Task co-financed by the City of Łódź.