Obj. ID: 49735
Memorials Monument to Jan Karski in Kraków, Poland, 2016
Memorial Name
Ławeczka Jana Karskiego (Jan Karski's Bench)
Who is Commemorated?
Jan Karski
Description
The memorial statue is set in a small square next to the entrance to the Remu Synagogue, facing Szroka Street, in front of the wall of the Old Jewish Cemetery.
The figure of Jan Karski is shown seated on one side of a bench with his legs crossed, his left hand resting on a cane, and a chessboard with pieces set beside him. There is room on the opposite side of the bench for visitors to sit as if to participate in a chess match.
Two plaques are affixed to the wall nearby – one is a double plaque with text about Karski in Polish and English. A separate bronze plaque names the sculptor, donors, and those who facilitated the project.
Inscriptions
On the double plaque:
Polish
Jan Karski
1914-2000
EMISARIUSZ NARODU POLSKIEGO
Z OKUPOWANEGO PRZEZ NIEMCÓW-KRAJU
DO RZĄDU NA UCHODŹSTWIE
I WŁADZ FRANCJI, WIELKIEI BRYTANII I USA
W LATACH 1940-43
CZŁOWIEK, KTÓRY CHCIAŁ ZATRZYMAĆ ZAGŁADE POLSKICH ŻYDÓW
SPRAWIEDLIWY WŚRÓD NARODÓW ŚWIATA
OBYWATEL HONOROWY IZRAELA
ODZNACZONY POLSKIM ORSEREM ORŁA BIAŁEGO
I PREZYDENCKIM MEDALEM WOLNOŚCI USA
English
Jan Karski
1914-2000
1940-43, Emissary of the Polish People
In German occupied Poland
To the Polish Government-in-exile
and to the Governments of
France, the United Kingdom
and the United States of America
A man who tried to stop the Holocaust of Polish Jews
Righteous Among the Nations
Honorary citizen of Israel
Awarded the Polish Order of the White Eagle
and the American Presidential Medal of Freedom
On single plaque (Polish):
ŁAWECZKA JANA KARSKIEGO
AUTORSTWA KAROLA BAYYNY
POWSTAŁA Z INICIATYWY CHRISA HUMNICKIEGO I ROTARY CLUB KRAKÓW
DARCZYŃCY
[list of donors]
WSPARCIE I AKTYWNA POMOC
ALEKSANDER SKOTNICKI – STRADOMSKIE CENTRUM DIALOGU
TADEUSZ JAKUBOWICZ – GMINA WYZNANIOWA ŹYDOWSKA W KRAKOWOWIE
BARTŁOMIEJ BIEŁYSZEW – ARCHITEKT
26 STYCZNIA 2016
Translation: Jan Karski's Bench / By Karol Bayyna / Established on the initiative of Chris Humnicki and Rotary Club Kraków / Donors / [list of donors] / Support and active help / Aleksander Skotnicki - Stradom Center for Dialogue, Tadeusz Jakubowicz - Jewish Community in Kraków, Bartłomiej Biełyszew - Architect / January 26, 2016
Commissioned by
Chris Humnicki
Rotary Club Kraków
5 image(s)
sub-set tree:
Jan Karski (1914-2000) – was an emissary and courier of the Polish Secret State during World War II. As a witness of the Holocaust, he presented his famous “Karski Report” on the mass murder of Jews in occupied Poland to the governments of the Allied powers.
The statue is one of several representations of Karski sculpted by Karol Badyna and installed around the world. This version has Karski seated on the left, the bench is shown more as a soft couch, and its form is molded more expressionistically than architecturally.