We will commemorate the Victims of the mass execution in Mszana Dolna on 19.08.1942. by their names

Every person deserves to have their name, surname, and age inscribed on his grave. Even, or perhaps especially, if it is a mass grave.

Until now, nearly 900 Victims of the largest murder of Jewish people (among them was also a group of Christians) on our land, from 19.08.1942 on the so-called Pańskie, were commemorated only with a small monument, erected and designed by the son and brother of the Victims, Jakub Weissberger. We restored this monument, which was in a quite sorry state after almost 80 years, in 2022. We also erected a symbolic fence made of granite posts with metal ropes, separating the site of the actual burial of those killed - this is important in judaism not to disturb the grave area. We are also taking further steps to ensure that each of those who rest there will be commemorated individually, by erecting a granite plaque behind the monument with the details of the Victims inscribed on it. We have received the appropriate permits from state authorities and a positive opinion from the Institute of National Remembrance, necessary to implement the project.

Our Foundation has received funding for this purpose from the Jewish Historical Institute Association, the Dialogue Forum and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Descendants of the Jews from Mszana Dolna were also involved in the project. We hope to finalize this inititative by the Anniversary in August this year. 

We are currently working on verifying the data. The basis is a list of Jewish inhabitants made by the Judenrat 2 months before the crime, on 15.06.1942, on the order of the occupation authorities. It contains 1095 names of Jews and people of Jewish roots living in Mszana Dolna at that time. However, not all the people listed on it were murdered on August 19, 1942. Some were killed earlier, between June and August, for example Maurycy Langsam with his son Henryk, murdered in Nowy Sacz. In addition, a group of young men was separated before the execution to "clean up the Jewish property" or work in quarries belonging to Vianova company from Limanowa. Few of them managed to survive - and acctually they performed the first verification of the list, shortly after the war. On this basis, 148 people were excluded from the list. However, the knowledge we have accumulated over the years of our work shows that this was not a 100% accurate verification: for ecxample the name of Mozes Aftergutt, who survived and was an important witness, was not crossed out; he came to Mszana many times. Also in a few dozen other cases the list needs to be corrected. Some of those who were separated later died in other places, such as Rabka, Zakopane, Limanowa. Some died in places unknown to us - such as Józik Goldberger, who stole the list from the Germans and thanks to this we have it today. On the other hand, those who arrived in Mszana Dolna between 15.06. and 19.08.1942, who may also have been murdered at Pańskie, remain nameless.

It is important, painstaking, and responsible work that we are currently doing to ensure that every name that can be determined will be on this plaque. We have a preliminary agreement with the Milbart stonemasonry company, with which we collaborated on the renovation of the monument and the placement of the grave-macevot in the Jewish cemetery in 2022. So everything points to the fact that on the 81st anniversary of the Holocaust, in August 2023, the victims resting on the Lord's will no longer be nameless.