Meeting on the history of the "Rosaries from Gusen

"On Christmas Eve 1941, a group of befriended prisoners (Piotr Naruszewicz, Stefan Niewiada, Wacław Milke, Mieczysław Paszkiewicz, Alojzy Waluś and others) founded the Living Rosary group. Each participant committed to reciting one decade of the rosary daily on their own and to encouraging other fellow prisoners to do the same. As a sign of this vow, each of them wore a single bead in the form of a die, sewn into a pocket of their clothing. This prayer also became a form of resistance and an important factor that united not only prisoners of different faiths, but also non-believers. Strong faith protected against giving up, strengthened the will to live and gave the „power of a defiant spirit.” Participants of the Living Rosary also showed full solidarity with all fellow prisoners. The activity of the Living Rosary group is a testimony to the power of prayer, humanity and memory. It also shows how important it is to preserve history and pass it on to future generations." The meeting will be attended by prof. Irena Lipowicz, former Ambassador of Poland to Austria and former Commissioner for Human Rights, Joanna Ziemska, a translator permanently residing in Austria, daughter of a KL Gusen prisoner, and Tadeusz Milke, son of a KL Gusen prisoner. We warmly invite you to participate in the event.