Iran and India as Places of Refuge for Polish Children During the Second World War
Iran and India as Places of Refuge for Polish Children During the Second World War
Author(s): Aleksandra Kmak-PamirskaContributor(s): Aleksandra Arumińska (Translator)
Subject(s): History, Cultural history, Diplomatic history, Oral history
Published by: Instytut Solidarności i Męstwa im. Witolda Pileckiego
Summary/Abstract: The article presents the fates of Polish children who were deported intothe USSR after 17 September 1939 and then evacuated to Iran and Indiain 1942, following the Sikorski–Mayski Agreement and the “amnesty”.The analysis is based on two egodocuments: the diary of Wanda BarbaraKociuba and the memoirs of Franek (Franciszek) Herzog, which makeit possible to reconstruct the exiles’ journey, living conditions – bothin exile and in the camps (Isfahan, Balachadi), education, religiouspractices, the scouting movement, and holiday celebrations, as well ashow the children’s paths diverged after the war (they moved mainlyto the UK and the US). The article juxtaposes personal accounts with officialdocuments produced by the Polish Government-in-Exile and secondaryliterature to show how community, school and religion helped the childrenpreserve their identity.
Journal: Studia nad Totalitaryzmami i Wiekiem XX
- Issue Year: 2024
- Issue No: 8
- Page Range: 312-332
- Page Count: 21
- Language: English
