A visit to sites of conscience in Poland
1st Day, 25 April 2023
The winners of the "Ask Your Grandparents" competition, organized by the Institute for Democracy, Media & Culture (IDMC) with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Tirana (KAS), accompanied by a delegation with their representatives, the Parliament of Albania, the Department of Journalism in the Faculty of History and Philology, Site of Witness and Memory in Shkodra and history teacher, went on a study trip to Poland to visit various important historical places.
The first visit was made to the Institute of National Remembrance in Krakow where they had the opportunity to talk with Mrs. Roksana Szczypta-Szczęch who talked about the history of Poland, the crimes during the Second World War and the communist period afterwards. They also visited the Center of Jewish Culture, where they had a meeting with Mr. Joachim Russek. They ended their first day with a visit to Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory, a commemoration of Poland's complex history during World War II.
2nd Day, 26 April 2023
The study visit of the delegation from Albania, continued on its second day to the International Center for Education on Auschwitz and the Holocaust, where they met Mr. Andrzej Kacorzyk, Deputy Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Chairman of the International Center for Education. The young students and representative of the delegation had questions and discussed about the Auschwitz Camp.
The group then headed the International Youth Meeting Center (IYMC) for a workshop on the Biographical Argument of Zofia Posmysz, "The Christ from Auschwitz”. The day ended with a visit to the Jewish Synagogue of IYMC and a tour of Oświęcim, followed by a discussion with Father Dr. Manfred Deselaers, Vice-President of the Center for Dialogue and Prayer (CDiM). The day was filled with powerful and thought-provoking experiences that highlighted the importance of remembering and honoring the past.
3rd Day, 27 April 2023
The last day of the study trip in Poland was filled with powerful experiences for the group of young winners of the "Ask Your Grandparents" competition and the delegation who accompanied them. It started with the visit at the Auschwitz Museum and had a guided tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum.
The day was concluded with a reflection workshop at the International Youth Meeting Centre. It was a somber but necessary day, in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.