Polish teachers photographed moments before being executed by German occupation forces in the “Valley of Death” (1939)
Wednesday, 12 Mar 2025
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Why do Facists always want to kill teachers?
Previously, on Fascism
The guy in the bottom right seems like he’s already endured the worst. Rest in power to these teachers—little did they know they would remain forever young in the memories of those who honor their history.
Man the last dude wasnt ready to Go . May God let these Souls rest . They didnt deserve that death smh
Nearly 20% of all Polish people were killed during WWII. The worst death rate of any country during the war
10/10. Remember, they might not come for you first, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t be coming for you soon enough. Fight fascism in every form.
How many albert einsteins have been lost to war.. sometimes i think about it and i get very sad.
I read Michner’s Poland when it was published in the 1980s. Maybe its time for a re-read. I don’t remember much about the book. But what I do remember is that when I was finished I had developed a deep fondness and respect for the Polish people.
And that feeling has been percolating in the last few years as I’ve been reading about Poland getting ready for Russia to start steam rolling their neighbors again while rebuilding their empire.
In 1933, Hitler started with revoking citizenship. He didn’t start with execution and death camps.
A terrible terrible time of history
My girlfriend’s a teacher and she always tells me they go after the teachers first. I guess this on record now but I guess ima die fighting for her and every other teacher. A couple years ago I thought it was drivel and now it seems waaaay more likely.
What did they teach?
Sad. Just sad.
😢 Hitler had a plan to make Poland a slave country. Killing off the ‘intellectuals’ was one step, aiming to end literacy in future Polish generations. Trying to ensure a populace for the labour of building the Reich empire.
Don’t know if this is interesting but it definitely hurts my heart
Redditors in alternate 1930s…
“They were actually enemies of the state, get out of your echo chamber. They don’t plan to round up Jews. You’re hysterical. “
István Örkény: In Memoriam Prof. K. H. G.
’Hölderlin ist ihnen unbekannt?’ asked Prof. K.H.G. while digging a hole for the carrion of a horse.
’Who was it?’ asked the German guard.
’He wrote Hyperion,’ explained Prof. K.H.G. He loved explaining things. ’The greatest character of German romanticism. And what about Heine?’
’Who are they?’ asked the guard.
’Poets,’ said Prof. K.H.G. ’Don’t you know Schiller’s name either?’
’But I do.’, said the German guard.
’How about Rilke?’
’I know him, too.’, said the German guard and he turned paprika-red in the face and shot Prof. K.H.G. dead.
Devastating images
Last guy looks more pissed than scared
This isn’t interesting…it’s just sad. Imagine being killed for nothing other than wanting to educate a generation of your nation’s children…
Keep publishing this
Must be absolutely terrifying to feel just in moments you will be dead. Adrenalin rushing through veins, to remember all the good and sad memories, to not be able to hug your loved ones for the last time and not being able to do what you have dreamt of…
Would like to point out the Russians did the exact same to Polish “elites” which included teachers in the part of Poland they occupied.
I watched Schindler’s List on inauguration day bc…. reasons. One part stuck out that I hadn’t noticed in previous watches. The nazis are lining people up and sorting by “essential workers” and “nonessential workers” and as a man is being led away he says, “since when is teaching history and literature nonessential?” Straight up started crying right then. It’s happening again.
Man… I just want to give a huge hug and reach out to Marian Jurek in the middle. So much emotion in his face. It just breaks my heart so much. Let the names and faces of these men never be forgotten, their lives meant something.
Fascists always target education.
They always get the teachers first.
Rest in peace
who is in possession of these photos now?
Fuck Nazis
Live your whole life just to be taken captive and shot. Hell ain’t hot enough, the cold void will do.
Marian has no fear. I’d hope I could go out that bravely.
And now the USA has piece of shit in power who, among other things, wants to eliminate the DoEd. And somehow unsurprisingly one of his most powerful supporters gave a nazi salute during his inauguration.
Totally fine. Nothing to see here. Move along.
“It can never happen in America.”
Brave, brave men…
It’s a powerful thing that we still know their names. Their lives could be ended, but not their existence.
Fuck Nazis!
Bastards.
Fuck nazis.
This is fucked! It never gets easier for me to see this kind of stuff! War is 👎
Brave men
Elon loves this
My lord, some of those picture looks heroic. Well, I know they were heroic, but you know what I mean.
And a Nazi salute was just done twice at a presidential inauguration in america. What a fucked up timeline.
Probably coming to the states soon 😣
Things like this why Poland will always have the Checklist.
It would be prudent to give the name of place also geogralhical context as there are several places called the Valley of Death and at least three are connected with the WW2.
Edit: the place mentioned is Bydgoszcz
“time to go”-face
if it happens to me, I’ll give the biggest shit eatin grin ever
Remember kids – there is no bottom
Jurek survived the war