„ I SOON REALISED THAT THIS EXPERIENCE WAS GOING TO BE WAY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I ALREADY KNEW.
the oppression he met from the Soviets. The only way this knowledge persisted is thanks to the fact that he shared it with my family, but it makes me wonder just how much he hid from us or didn’t feel comfortable telling. Mr. Bartnikowski said that he told no one about the things he experienced for years simply due to the sheer trauma those memories bring back. I can’t help but think about the things he, the other survivors, and my great grandfather did not tell anyone. I will never forget this experience and I am thankful for having the opportunity to meet and connect with Mr. Bartni- kowski. It certainly changed a lot about my under- standing and outlook on many events and acts taken during WW2.
Nazi regime. Whenever I try to comprehend it logi- cally, it’s very easy to leave out the emotional part of the equation, which is crucial to know and feel, but whenever I focus on the emotions, it becomes ever so harder to truly know rationally what even happened, or what could have gone through the minds of the oppressors as well as the victims. This experience also gave me a new perspective on the stories told about my own Great Grandfa- ther - Wacław Król, who was an elite fighter ace. Although he wrote many books documenting his experiences, he had to leave out many details, like
Author: Wiktor Jeryś, Poland
©Romain Lalire 17
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