Collection, that our Foundation takes care of, has been enriched by another, unusual, original item from the time of KL Auschwitz-Birkenau camp functioning.
It is original concret roller made by the prisoners in the camp concrete workshop. Rollers of this type were used for levelling roads and paths throughout the whole complex of KL Auschwitz camp, they were also used in other camps of the Third Reich, such asDachau, Ravensbruck or Mauthausen-Gusen.
This easy in form tool was a symbol of degrading, malice and physical mutilation which lead to exhaustion of prisoners, who were made to pull it again and again. Working “there and back”, nevermind if the ground was already leveled or not; this was the aim of german nazi war machine, death through hard work, and to add insult to injury and degrade.
In Auschwitz Birkenau national museum there are only two rollers of this type, we can see them outside block 18. Our roller is third known so far original of this type left after KL Auschwitz camp. It is already exposed on our educational path still in creation, next to the main office of our Foundation by the building of former Penal Company of KL Auschwitz – Bór/Budy in Brzeszcze.
There are many descriptions of work using this type of roller, both in prisoners’ testimonies and those described in literature regarding the camp. Sadly, there is no photo left showing the prisoners using the roller, but there are few sketches known, drawn by former prisoners e.g. mr Kościelniak, no 15261 or Władysław Siwek no 5826.
We do not know the exact history of this unusual item, what happened with this roller just after liberation, but we have found out that to the mid 1990’s it was used for leveling football stadium of sports club in Brzezinka. When the club bought a new, metal one, this roller was donated to sports club Korona in Harmęże. This club in time also obtained a new roller, and ours, as useless, was left in the bushes, it was only sometimes borrowed for leveling some area by the locals from Harmęże.
Finally,after 72 years since the liberation, it was given its’ final resting place, and as a mute witness of history and tragedy of many people it can helpu s in our education, to show next generations that „People upon people bestowed this fate”
Nevertheless, it needs to be highlited that it wasn’t us who saved it, we only gave it back its form as an exhibit. It was saved by a whole lot of regular people, in whose hands it was stored, altough it was used by them, it survived to this day. One of these people is the chairman of sports club LKS Korona Harmężę mr Michał Smętek, who in the name of the whole club said that it is finally time that this historical object found its’ place in our Foundation, for what we are gracious.
