Deficyty solidarności. Esej o Aryjkach i Żydówkach w obozie koncentracyjnym
Deficits of solidarity. An essay on Aryan and Jewish women in the concentration camp

Summary/Abstract: The article addresses the issue of solidarity (or its lack) among female prisoners in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, particularly between non-Jewish women, referred to as "Aryans," and Jewish women. The author bases her analysis on the accounts of three close friends, known as "Koleżanki [Female friends]," including her own mother, who spent about two years in the camp (1943-1945). She uses a biographical method, examining their memories, interviews, and written accounts to understand their mutual perceptions and attitudes towards each other in the context of the extreme conditions of the camp. The author notes that although solidarity was a desired value, the camp conditions often led to competition and a struggle for survival. The goal of the essay is to investigate whether, in such extreme conditions characterized by dehumanization and ruthless struggle for survival, it was possible to maintain and foster solidarity and empathy among the prisoners.

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