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| Adam Czerniaków at his office, reading the letter forwarded by a German officer. |
The first uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto
July 23, 1942. The news and German demands at the start of the liquidation of the Warsaw ghetto by the Germans resulted in the chairman of the Warsaw Judenrat, Adam Czerniaków´s suicide.
"... They are demanding that I kill the children of my people with my own hands. I have nothing to do but to die" wrote Adam Czerniaków’s in the last letter to his wife Cecylia Czerniaków
The funeral of Czerniaków took place the next day at dawn, at the Jewish Cemetery at Okopowa Street [Quarter 10, Row 5, No. 1]. Germans allowed only a dozen or so people to attend the ceremony. In this way, they did not want to draw the attention of the ghetto inhabitants. Janusz Korczak, spoke at the grave of his close friend.
"... God has entrusted you the dignity of your nation and to God, you bestowed that dignity."
The very last writings from Adam Czerniaków’s diary:
"Worthoff and his comrades [resettlement staff] were here and demanded to prepare a transport of children for tomorrow. That is the last straw. Surely, I cannot send to death the defenseless children. I decided to leave. Do not treat it as an act of cowardice or escape. I am helpless, my heart is bursting with grief and pity, I cannot stand it anymore. My deed will show the truth to all and may lead to the right course of action. I realize that I leave you with a heavy legacy".
Adam Czerniaków - it was the first uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto, wrote about it after the war, his wife dr. Felicia Czerniaków that survived the Holocaust.
