26 August
AM – Drive to Sieradz, the former home town of Mayer Hersh (Manchester) and Arek Hersh (Leeds) both Windermere Boys who are closely connected to the Avenue of Exile project.
Met with Jacek Potakowski, Head of Customer Service at Urząd Miasta Sieradz (Sieradz Town Council), who showed us archive photographs of the town. Meeting with the town registrar who showed original documents relating to Mayer Hersh’s family.
Telephoned Mayer Hersh in Manchester and identified the address where he had lived in Sieradz. Jacek Potakowski then took us on a guided tour around Sireadz and the former Jewish area.
Meeting with Dr. Jerzy Kowalski, Director of Muzeum Okręgowe w Sieradzu (Sieradz Regional Museum) who gave us material relating to the Jewish community including photographs, essays and documentation.
Meeting with Sister Agnieszka Tarabuła in the Dominican Monastery who we interviewed at length. She told us stories from the time about the Jewish community, the liquidation of the Sieradz Ghetto and intimate details of help and assistance offered by the Sisters to some Jewish children and families.
Invitation extended from Sieradz Town Council and Regional Museum for a return visit and project collaborations.
PM – Drive from Sieradz to Chełmno nad Nerem (the site of Kulmhof Extermination Camp) and Rzuchowski Forest (the site of the Waldlager or Forest Camp).
Kulmhof Extermination Camp was the place where many of the Windermere Boys families were murdered and their corpses subsequently buried in the camp in Rzuchowski Forest.
Met with Kazimierz Erber from Koło to walk around Rzuchowski Forest. He had been involved in building the memorial on the site of the former camp.
Drive back to Łódź.