Project background

The year 2010 has 65^th anniversary of 2^nd World war as one of the important dates in the calendar. The war and its impact on Europe and the world is still felt and significant – from research on Nazi crimes, Holocaust and trials on still alive guards of concentration camps, till situation with fascism and growing racism all over Europe. For young generation, the history of what was happening 65 years ago may be far away, but it is still closely connected on personal level – to grandparents. It is also strongly affecting our national and cultural identity, how we see and perceive this history and other countries involved, including prejudices and stereotypes. Also it has a lot of unknown stories and moments behind, which become public often because of some accident, as the stories which provided background for the proposed youth exchange.

Konstantinovka is a small town in south-east of Ukraine, Donetsk region. There are 123 elderly people in town, who survived concentration camps. Most of them live in poor conditions, need support and lack social contacts. Other problem is, that young people nowadays know little about the horrors of WW2, and what was happening in concentration camps. The memories and stories of people disappear with them, and if nothing is undertaken, soon nobody would be able to tell about the horrors of that time. Another remarkable thing is, that 3 diaries of survivals of concentration camps were discovered in Konstantinovka, which are very little known in town, as well as in Ukraine and abroad.

Diary 1 – Andrey Otchenashenko (in Russian), original is in the museum of Konstantinovka, online version at http://www.konstantinovka.com.ua/node/10821

In 1942, when he was 17 years old, he was captured at the market and taken to Germany, where he survived Sachsenhausen and Natzweiler, other camps an prisons. After being freed by the Soviet army, he was arrested by KGB, sentenced and sent to work in Uranium mines in Asian Soviet republics. He was called by his family back to Konstantinovka with falsed telegram about his mother’s death, arrested again and by miracle not accused of spying again. He died in 2007, the diary was discovered in the mansion of his house, by people who bought it.

Diary 2 - Nonna Bannister – diary in English, see http://www.secretholocaustdiaries.com/

In 1942, being 15 years old, together with her mother she was taken from Konstantinovka to Germany, where both survived all horrors of Holocaust, mother ended up in concentration camp – Nonna was sure she was murdered by Nazis. In the camp she got sick and survived because of church hospital, where she worked after recovering from sickness. In 1949 she left for the US, where she was happily married, gave birth and raised 3 children. She got sick and died in 2004. At the end of her life she wrote down memories with title “Secret Holocaust diaries”, which were published in the US (soon comes out German edition). The memories were completed by numerous photos, which Nonna kept in pillow case of her mother, and which survived everything with her. “Club of Nonna’s friends” is formed in Konstantinovka, which did local studies work and discovered her home, her relatives and family graves,  including her mother’s one, who survived the war and came back to Konstantinovka.

Diary 3 - Gerhard Servatius – diary in German, original is kept in the museum of Konstantinovka, Russian translation is at http://konstantinovka.com.ua/node/10459

With 17 years he was taken from German settlements in Romania. Lived in camp in Konstantinovka from 1945 till 1948, and worked on reconstruction of industry. He witnessed numerous deaths and tortures. There is a cemetery in Konstantinovka, last place of about 300 such “Westarbeiters”.

These 3 stories are described, but alone in Konstantinovka there are 123 more waiting to be heard and documented – which became the foundation for the project. The special feature of these stories is, that different nationalities are involved, thus also showing different perspectives on the war, and how history and 2^nd World war ‘played’ with people and nations in European pot.

These stories became an inspiring start for young volunteers from several SCI branches and partners to develop and organize "Last prisoner story" youth exchange, which took place in Konstantinovka in August 2010. The project was realized with support of German National Agency of Youth in Action Programme.