Πολωνία - Ο Σταυρός Οσβιένσκι PRL 1939–1945 – διάκριση πρώην κρατουμένων σε στρατόπεδα συγκέντρωσης + 2 - Στρατιωτικό μετάλλιο

Το αντικείμενο της δημοπρασίας είναι ο Σταυρός του Άουσβιτς, πολωνικό κρατικό διακριτικό, θεσπισμένο με νόμο στις 14 Μαρτίου 1985 ως έκφραση μνήμης και φόρου τιμής για τους κρατούμενους στα γερμανικά ναζιστικά στρατόπεδα συγκέντρωσης. Δεν πρόκειται για ένα οποιοδήποτε αναμνηστικό μετάλλιο ή για σύγχρονο αντίγραφο με την έννοια του ίδιου τύπου διακρίσεων, αλλά για παράσημο που θεσπίστηκε από το Πολωνικό Κράτος και απονέμεται από το Συμβούλιο του PRL. Σύμφωνα με τον νόμο, ο Σταυρός προοριζόταν για άτομα που κρατήθηκαν σε ναζιστικά στρατόπεδα συγκέντρωσης, μεταξύ άλλων για τη συμμετοχή στον αγώνα για την ελευθέρωση της Πολωνίας από την γερμανική κατοχή, για πατριωτική και πολιτική δράση, καθώς και για άτομα που κρατήθηκαν λόγω εθνικής ή φυλετικής καταγωγής ή για άλλους πολιτικούς λόγους. Μπορούσε να απονεμηθεί σε πολίτες Πολωνίας, σε πρώην Πολωνούς υπήκοους που διαβιούσαν στο εξωτερικό και, σε ιδιαίτερα δικαιολογημένες περιπτώσεις, και σε αλλοδαπούς, κυρίως συμμετέχοντες στο οχύρωμα του στρατοπέδου· προβλεπόταν και απονομές μετά θάνατον.

Ο offered exemplar has the characteristic form of an isosceles plain cross, silvered and oxidized. Officially the badge measures 42 mm. Its surface is covered by a very evocative relief depicting barbed wire and the fence posts of the camp. The central element of the obverse is a downward-pointing red triangle with the letter “P.” This motif refers to the system of prisoner designation in German concentration camps — the red triangle signified political prisoners, and the letter “P” indicated a Polish prisoner. On either side of the central motif are the dates “1939” and “1945,” marking the period of World War II. The official statutory description precisely defines this composition as a red triangle with the letter P placed against a backdrop of barbed wire and two posts.

The reverse is austere and devoid of decoration except for an embossed inscription: “PRL / WIĘŹNIOM / HITLEROWSKICH / OBOZÓW KONCENTRACYJNYCH.” This is in line with the statutory pattern for the inscription proper to the original version of the Auschwitz Cross from the period of the Polish People’s Republic. The award is suspended on a distinctive striped ribbon. According to the law, it had a width of 40 mm and eleven vertical stripes in light gray and blue colours.

The Auschwitz Cross is a special document of Polish 20th‑century history – its significance derives primarily not from its decorative value, but from whom and for what experiences it was awarded. It commemorated individuals who actually passed through the German concentration camp system. It should also be noted that without the preserved award documents or the owner’s documents, one cannot attribute this particular exemplar to a specific person or a specific camp. The Auschwitz Cross itself does not automatically denote that its recipient was a prisoner of KL Auschwitz—the name of the decoration has a broader character and included former prisoners of German concentration camps.

Two publications concerning KL Auschwitz accompany the decoration, forming a thematically cohesive historical‑collecting set with the Cross.

The first is the book “Oświęcim,” published by Interpress. This is a richly illustrated documentary publication devoted to the history of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz. The book contains numerous archival photographs, materials relating to the functioning of the camp, its infrastructure, prisoners, and crimes committed by the German Nazis. The copy also includes a fold-out plan of KL Auschwitz II-Birkenau, allowing the layout of individual sectors and camp facilities to be traced. The edition visible in the photos dates from 1979 – Second Edition, print run 60,000 copies, which is confirmed by the publishing information preserved inside the book. The publication has an evidently documentary character and contains extensive photographic material from the period of the camp’s operation, its liberation, and later commemoration.

The second publication is a large, hard‑back album “KL Auschwitz – Documentary photographs / Documentary photographs / Documents photographiques / Dokumentaraufnahmen / Документальные снимки,” prepared by the State Museum in Oświęcim. It is a multilingual photographic album, whose concept and selection of photographs were prepared by Renata Bogusławska‑Świebocka and Teresa Cegłowska. Bibliographically, the publication was issued in Warsaw by the National Publishing Agency (KAW) in 1980, and the first edition comprises 238 pages plus additional leaves and a large collection of documentary photographs. The texts and captions were prepared in parallel in several languages: Polish, English, French, German and Russian.

The album “KL Auschwitz” is primarily an iconographic source – through photographs it documents the camp grounds, its buildings and facilities, prisoners, deportations, living conditions, crimes, as well as liberation and the post‑war treatment of the place as a memorial. This type of archival photography also constitutes an important part of the modern method of documenting the history of the Auschwitz‑Birkenau Memorial Site.

Together they form a cohesive historical set concerning remembrance of the inmates of German Nazi concentration camps and the history of KL Auschwitz: the state Auschwitz Cross from the PRL period, along with two older documentary publications. The Cross is preserved with its ribbon and box visible in the photographs. The metal surface shows natural oxidation/patina corresponding to the character of the decoration. The red enamel central part is legible, as is the relief of the barbed wire, the dates and the inscription on the reverse. The books remain in used condition, with typical age‑related signs of storage and use, including wear to covers, edges and natural aging of paper; a detailed condition of all elements is shown in the auction photographs.

This is an interesting set for a collector of Polish state decorations, PRL philately, militaria and mementos related to World War II, and above all a material of historical and memorial character. The offered items should be regarded as evidence and materials serving the preservation of memory of the victims and the history of German Nazi concentration camps.

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