by tskzOn Saturday, June 20, members and supporters of the TSKŻ Branch in Warsaw travelled to Kutno, a city in the very heart of Poland, best known for its long tradition of rose cultivation.
We began our visit at the Municipal and District Public Library in Kutno, where we had the opportunity to learn about the works of Sholem Asch, one of the most distinguished Yiddish-language writers, born in Kutno and twice nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Next, guided by the invaluable local historian and volunteer heritage conservator Bożena Gajewska, we set off on a walking tour of Jewish Kutno. We visited sites associated with the pre-war Jewish community, including the domicile of Rabbi Israel Yehoshua Trunk and the site of the former Kutno Synagogue. After the walk, it was time for a well-deserved break, during which we enjoyed local delicacies such as rose-flavoured ice cream and pastries.
Our next destination was the Saxon Palace Museum. Housed in a beautifully restored eighteenth-century palace, the museum introduced us to the history of King Augustus III of Poland. The exhibition also offered us an opportunity to learn about the history of Kutno and the surrounding region.
After lunch, it was time for a more difficult, yet equally important, part of our visit as we confronted the tragic history of the Holocaust of the city’s Jewish community. We visited the site of the former sugar factory, where, during the German occupation, Jews from Kutno and the surrounding area were confined before being deported to the Chełmno extermination camp.
Our trip concluded with a visit to the Kutno Cultural Centre. During a floral jewellery-making workshop, we learned about the town’s rose-growing heritage and the story of the brothers Katriel and Aron Eizyk, who laid the foundations for this horticultural tradition. The practical part of the workshop gave us the opportunity to create our own unique keepsakes from the trip.
While at the Kutno Cultural Centre, we also had the opportunity to visit the temporary educational exhibition entitled Doubly Forgotten: Jewish Officers of the Polish Army among the Victims of the Katyn Massacre. The exhibition was prepared by the Friends and Jewish Families of the City of Kutno Foundation as part of the public project Zachor Means Remember! under the honorary patronage of the Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland. The exhibition was curated by Luc Albinski.
Despite the hot summer weather, everyone remained in high spirits throughout the day, and the rich programme of the trip ensured that there was never a dull moment.
Our special thanks go to Bożena Gajewska for her outstanding guidance and fascinating stories. Thanks to her dedication, we were able to discover not only historical facts and dates, but above all the stories of the people who shaped the history of Kutno over the centuries. It is thanks to Bożena that our visit to the City of Roses will remain in our memories for a long time to come!
We would also like to sincerely thank the staff of the Municipal and District Public Library and the Kutno Cultural Centre for their warm welcome. Our thanks also go to the florist Agnieszka Dąbrowska-Walczak for sharing her expertise during the floral workshop and for her valuable advice on flower care. We are also grateful to the Kutno City Office for preparing thoughtful gifts related to the city. These lovely keepsakes will remind us of our day in the City of Roses and of the warm hospitality of its inhabitants.
Finally, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the participants for sharing this wonderful day with us. We look forward to seeing you again soon!
