Pawiak – Majdanek – Auschwitz

Bolesław Burski „Jasieńczyk” (1905–1984) was arrested by the Gestapo in December 1943 for his resistance involvement. First detained at the Pawiak prison, then in the German concentration camps: Majdanek and Auschwitz. He eventually escaped from the evacuation transport to KL Mauthausen.

He was a Polish legionnaire, a scout, an activist of the Polish Socialist Part, a soldier of the Home Army. Though born in Warsaw, he spent most of his adult life in Dąbrowa Górnicza, where he worked as a gardener and landscape architect.

The book Pawiak – Majdanek – Auschwitz is not only an invaluable testimony to the wartime, but also a fascinating tale of an exceptional man. His intelligence, ability to speak several languages, cunning, and resourcefulness saved his life. Thorough observations, vivid descriptions, on-point dialogues, and the dynamic narrative all contribute to the fact that Burski’s account is an excellent read.