On the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, a ceremony in Warsaw marked the return of jewelry seized by Nazis during World War II.
This event was part of the “Warsaw Uprising: 100 Untold Stories” campaign, which aims to return personal belongings of concentration camp victims to their descendants.
The Arolsen Archives, which maintains records on about 17.5 million individuals persecuted by the Nazis, facilitated the return of these items.
These valuables, including wedding rings and watches, were confiscated from prisoners and preserved in envelopes marked with their names.
Floriane Azoulay, director of the Arolsen Archives, noted the importance of these items as they represent the last personal possessions of the prisoners before they were reduced to numbers. The archives hold around 2,000 such items from across 30 countries and continues efforts to return them.
Stanislawa Wasilewska’s family received items including amber crucifixes and a gold wristwatch. Additionally, Adam Wierzbicki received rings and a gold chain belonging to his ancestors Zofia Strusinska and Józefa Skórka.
During the Nazi occupation of Poland, approximately 6 million people died, including many Jews. The Warsaw Uprising, which began on August 1, 1944, lasted 63 days and resulted in around 200,000 deaths and the extensive destruction of the city.
