My Great-Grandmother’s Diary

In every family there is a special historical object which is very important to members of the family. In my family, the most valuable memory is my great-grandmother’s diary. It was written by my great- grandmother, Romana Domańska. She described very difficult moments of her town Bodzentyn from World War II that she experienced. This diary has been in our family since 1999, and we are very pround of it because it reminds us about the history of our ancestors.

My great-grandmother would like to show horrible events when German soldiers carried out executions of the people of Bodzentyn. In her diary she wrote about the day of 1 June 1943. Early in the morning that day German soldiers forced people out of their houses and gathered them in the town square. People were very scared. The women and children were crying. They did not know what would happen to them. Then the Germans read the list of names and chose people who were to be killed. Forty people were murdered, including thirty-five men and five women.

One of the victims was my great-grandmother’s cousin, Konrad Świderski. He was only 18 years old. He was an innocent young man who was the same surname like the other man of the town. He was shot together with other unfallen people. This was a great tragedy for the whole family. My great-grandmother wrote that the bodies of the murdered were placed in one massive grave in the cemetery of Bodzentyn. In the XXI century, the local people and Polish community from Canada funded a granite monument to remember the victims.

In my family we also have old photos of our ancestors. They show my great-grandmother Romana Domańska, my great-grandfather Kazimierz Domański, and their relatives, including Konrad Świderski. When I look at these photos and read the diary, I feel that my family’s history is real and very close to me. These are not only episodes from a history book, but a history from my great-grandmother’s memory.

My great-grandmother’s diary is very important for us because it shows how the war was and how much suffering it brought to ordinary people. It also teaches me that we should respect the past and people. Thanks to this memory, I know where I come from and what my family experienced.

I think that my historical object will be passed from generation to generation. My great-grandmother Romana Domańska’s diary is a testimony of memory and love for her town. That is why it is the most valuable memory for me and my family.