Turning Points
in Wisconsin History
Auschwitz Concentration Camp Sweater
Concentration camp sweater worn by Tadeusz Kowalczyk while a prisoner at Auschwitz during World War II
In late June 1940 German soldiers arrested Polish veterinarian Tadeusz "Ted" Kowalczyk while he was tending animals at Polish President Wladyslaw Raczkiewicz's abandoned summer home in southwestern Poland. On June 25 Kowalczyk arrived at the Petrikau prison where he was tortured by the German Gestapo on three or four occasions over the course of the next month. He was then sent to Auschwitz where he lived and wore this sweater for the next three years before being sent on to two more concentration camps. Kowalczyk moved to Madison, Wisconsin in 1949, and later wrote a short books about his experiences during the Holocaust (also available in Turning Points).
| Related Topics: |
World Wars and Conflicts The World War II Military and Home Fronts |
| Creator: | Unknown |
| Pub Data: | Wisconsin Historical Museum (Museum object # 1985.92) |
| Citation: | Auschwitz Concentration Camp Sweater. Wisconsin Historical Museum. Online facsimile at: http://wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=1593; Visited on: 4/19/2024 |
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