SOPHIE HODOROWICZ KNAB AUTHOR
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Litany in Ravensbrück

9/23/2020

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​       September 23, 1939 marks the first transport of Polish women to the Ravensbrück concentration camp in Germany during World War II. On this day, let us honor the memory of the 40,000 Polish women, young girls and children who were prisoners of the Ravensbrück concentration camp.

     It is an established fact that they comprised the single largest numbers of prisoners at Ravensbruck. Sixteen thousand Polish women alone were sent to the camp after the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Thousands died of starvation, succumbed to worked beyond their endurance and sent to the gas chambers. Two hundred of the women were shot. Seventy-four underwent illegal and unethical medical experiments.  Eight thousand lived to see liberation.  

      In her account of life in Ravensbrück, Halina Charaszewska-Brückman mentions that although it was strictly forbidden, whenever it was possible, the women held group prayer services. “Every day, when the lights were out, we prayed together in our rooms. One of the prayers constantly recited by all Polish female prisoners was the litany I composed during my work in the factory, during the period of the greatest persecution and stress.”   The following is an excerpt of that litany:

Holy Lord, Holy [and]Mighty, Holy [and]
     Immortal - have mercy on us
From [pestilential] air, hunger, fire and war - protect us Lord
From sudden, unexpected death, lameness
     and hostile intrigue - deliver us Lord
To survive slavery with honor – assist us Lord
Support the weak and frail of body and soul,
      heal the sick – we ask of you Lord
Unity, courage and sober thought be our
     strength – teach us Lord
Enlighten the heart and mind of our enemies – we ask of you Lord
From the winds of war, camps and jails – extricate us Lord
Inspire our conscience with fairness and justice – we ask of you Lord
May the blood of innocents
      never stain our hands – fulfill this Lord
But in righteous grievances, support us
     give us strength and courage – we ask of you Lord
From fratricidal war and domestic feuds – protect us Lord
Through your holy mercy, peace and freedom – return to us Lord
To the land of our fathers, beneath our family roof or the
     open sky, with our families – connect us Lord
For new creative work in health and the strength to stand – allow us Lord
People of good will walking the path of truth and love – bless Almighty God
Sinners who have recognized their faults – be loving Lord
For the souls killed in action and died for the holy cause
     of an independent Fatherland – shine upon them dear God
And if you decree us a swift death, grant us a useful death – we beg of you Lord  
But Almighty God in the unity of the Holy Trinity
pass your judgements –
That we may leave this frightening dark labyrinth of slavery and step into the light of true freedom....

Cześć ich pamięci. Let us honor their memory


Author translation. From the book by Zbigniew Stanuch. Ravensbrück. Historia nie do zapomnienia. Perspektywa-polska. Szczecin 2020  Digital pdf version can be found at:
ipn.gov.pl/pl/publikacje/ksiazki/96255,Ravensbrück-Historia-nie-do-zapomnienia-Perspektywa-polska.html



1 Comment
Łucja Fice
10/27/2020 03:23:33 am

Dziękuję Bogu, że panią w sieci znalazłam cyt. W. Szymborska "Nic nie dzieje się przypadkiem i z tej przyczyny zrodziliśmy się wprawy i pomrzemy bez przyczyny" Jestem autorką powieści "PRZEZNACZENIE" "WYSPA STARCÓW" "ZA KRYSZTAŁOWYM LUSTREM" "DRUGA STRONA GRZECHU" tom poezji "OPIEKUNKA" oraz "BOSKA MATRYCA" Wszystkie książki oparte na faktach o polskich opiekunkach pracujących w całej Europie po roku 2004.W tymże roku 2004 z powodu braku pracy ( jestem chemikiem) wyjechałam do WB ( Walia,) gdzie zatrudniono mnie w Domu Opieki, jako opiekunkę osób starszych, by po powrocie do Polski w 2010 roku jeździć na saksy do Niemiec aż do do chwili obecnej.Jestem po lekturze pani książki "NAZNACZONE LITERĄ P" Ponieważ moja ś.p. teściowa była pracownikiem przymusowym, a ja obecnie pracuję nad nowa powieścią, łącząc stare z nowym, więc pani książka ma dla mnie olbrzymie znaczenie nie tylko historyczne. Książka uzupełni wspomnienia teściowej. Kiedy dosięgła ją demencja, to na jaw wyszła okrutna tajemnica i na tej historii buduję nową powieść.Była to tajemnica, którą skrywała przez całe życie, a krótko przed śmiercią, kiedy już w umyśle nie było żadnych filtrów, tylko zostały emocje, PRAWDA wychodzi na jaw. Coś przenikało z tej PRAWDY,bowiem teściowie poszukiwali w Niemczech dwoje mężczyzn, starszych o 17 lat lat od teściowej. Pamiętam, że nigdy ich nie znaleźli. Pragnę nawiązać z Panią kontakt i porozmawiać.

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    One of the biggest moments in my life was being able to sign for my very own library card. When I'm not reading, researching and writing I'm riding my bike, sewing or gardening. I love flea markets, folk art, and traveling to Poland.

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