Follow the lives of eight young people from the Będzin Ghetto

In these pages, we tell the story of young people in the Jewish ghetto of Będzin (Poland) before, during, and after the Holocaust.

This Digital Exhibit supports and enriches the traveling exhibit:

Through the Eyes of Youth: Life and Death in the Będzin Ghetto

Both the traveling exhibit and the digital exhibit were created by the Martin-Springer Institute at Northern Arizona University.

  • This digital exhibit provides information and resources to learn about young people's lives in a Jewish ghetto in Poland within the context of the Holocaust and World War II.

  • It offers teachers and educators curricular ideas and materials for preparing students before, during, and after visiting the exhibit.

  • It offers people who would like to request the exhibit for their organization an overview about its educational value.

  • The site can also be navigated as a source of information on the Będzin ghetto independent of the actual traveling exhibit.

HISTORY

In 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland. German forces occupied the Polish city of Będzin, changing the lives of its Jewish people forever.

Forced into a cramped ghetto, the entire Jewish population was eventually deported to extermination camps.

The youth of Będzin struggled with growing up amid violence, hatred, and loss, while still trying to find small joys in life.

Timeline

Maps

Będzin Ghetto - Traveling Exhibit

Follow the lives of eight young people from the Będzin Ghetto

More Stories

During the creation of the exhibit Through the Eyes of Youth: Life and Death in the Będzin Ghetto and after its public opening in the Fall of 2014, the team working on the exhibit has been in touch with other Będzin survivors and their children. We like to tell some of their stories.

Please contact the Martin-Springer Institute if you can share your story or any materials we can post (photos, diaries, images of objects).