Władysława Bednarska
Class 5
Public Elementary School in Dąbrowa near Kielce
What do the mass graves tell us?
Mass graves tell us that someone is buried in them. Many people, mostly men, died during the war. Many of them perished on the battlefields in defense of their homeland. Many were killed by the Germans as hostages. It was a very sad death when the Germans placed young men against the wall of the church and everyone knew that they would die. A lot of people died during the numerous round-ups conducted by the Germans. This is how they did it: they surrounded a whole village or town and caught the residents, shooting at those who attempted escape. Those captured were deported to Germany for labor, where they were dying of hunger and cold. Many people perished in camps such as Dachau, Auschwitz, Majdanek and at many other killing sites. The Germans were hanging people and torturing them. Foreigners were also killed, including Russians, the French and even those Germans who opposed Hitler’s government. There are many graves in all parts of Poland. We have to remember about them.