The project was initiated by Magdalena Gawin [pl], Deputy Minister of Culture and National Heritage and implemented by the Pilecki Institute.[2] The first monument was erected in Sadowne on March 24, 2019, commemorating the Polish Lubkiewicz family, who were murdered in January 1943 [pl] for baking bread for Jewish women hiding in the vicinity of the Treblinka extermination camp.[2][3] By early 2020s, at least 24 such monuments were erected, honoring a total of 55 people who attempted to save over a hundred of Jews.[4][5] A related exhibition was hosted in Warsaw in October 2020, and various educational activities have also been organized.[5]
The name of the project refers to Zbigniew Herbert's poem Mr. Cogito and its message about the need to precisely count the victims of the Nazi regime.[2]
Activities
The project's goal involve actions to commemorate Poles who were murderedfor aiding Jews during World War II by creating monuments and other symbols in the public spaces. The primary method is enacting a plaque with an inscription in Polish and English, placed on a stone monument. Some monuments are accompanied by QR codes through which visitors can access further digital information.[2][6]
The project involves collecting information of wartime histories of various individuals, and has been called inspirational with regards to preserving family histories and educating people about World War II and The Holocaust history.[7]
The project and the related exhibition have been interpreted as an implied criticism of the Yad Vashem's Righteous Among the Nations program, as some of the individuals honored with Called by Name status have not received a Righteous status.[5]
victims of the Paulinów massacre [pl] (Franciszek Augustyniak, Zygmunt Drgas, Franciszek Kierylak, Ewa, Józef and Stanisław Kotowscy, Marian Nowicki, Stanisław Piwko, Jan Siwiński, Zygmunt Uziębło and Aleksandra Wiktorzak) (4 June 2020)[26][27]
victims of the Stary Lipowiec massacre [pl] (Katarzyna Grochowicz, Anastazja, Roman and Franciszek Kusiak, Katarzyna Rybak, Jan Zaręba) (8 October 2020)[32][33]
victims of the Złotopolice massacre (Ignacy Ambroziak [pl], Stanisława Trzcińska [pl], Stefan Trzciński [pl], Władysław Muchowski [pl]) (10 May 2022)[45][46]
the Dmoch family (Józef Dmoch [pl] and Józefa Dmoch [pl]) and Jan Kowalski [pl] (14 June 2022)[47]
the Gacoń family (Stanisław Gacoń [pl] and Apolonia Gacoń [pl]) and Jan Jantoń [pl] (22 June 2022)[48]
Stradowski family (Wacław Stradowski [pl] and Marianna Stradowska [pl]) (15 September 2022)[49]
victims of the first Majdan Nowy massacre (see also the second Majdan Nowy massacre; Jan Gniduła [pl] and six others - Katarzyna Kowal [pl], Józef Kowal [pl], Marianna Łubiarz [pl], Anastazja Łubiarz [pl], Kazimierz Szabat [pl], Katarzyna Margol [pl]) (29 September 2022)[50]