Naming the Vicitims

While much of our recent efforts have been focused on the miracle of survival that occurred at HKP, the fact is that even at this seemingly bright spot in the midst of the Holocaust in Vilna, the vast majority perished. Pictured above left is young Esther Selzer who was ten years old when she was killed  along with 90% of the camps 250 children during the notorious Kinder Aktion carried out by the SS on March 27, 1944. To her right are Max and Henia Rudnik who both died during the final liquidation of the camp when their hiding place was discovered during the final days of the camp.  The sad truth is that even with the help of Plagge and some of his men, only 250 out of the original 1250 camp prisoners survived until liberation. 200 or so children perished during the Kinder Aktion, while 750 of the remaining 1000 camp residents were killed by the SS during the final liquidation of the camp after the German retreat began on July 3, 1944.  

Not infrequently, whole families perished and as the last survivors from the camp begin to succumb to age,  the very existence of some of  the HKP victims is in danger of being lost forever.  Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust Authority in Jerusalem,  has begun a worldwide project to name and collect the stories of each victim of the Holocaust (see below). The HKP survivors and their families are currently working to collect the names of the 1000 or so innocents who perished at the HKP camp either during the Kinder Aktion of March 1944 or during the final liquidation of the camp from July 3, 1944 until liberation on July 13, 1944.