The Choice to Save Lives. Polish diplomats and the Holocaust - Instytut Pileckiego

Diplomacy and the Holocaust

The exhibition presents a broader historical context: the establishment of the Polish foreign service following the regaining of independence by Poland in 1918, the intensification of the Third Reich’s antisemitic policies in the 1930s, and the tragic situation of Jews in occupied Europe.

After the Nazis rose to power in Germany, they gradually stripped Jews of civil rights and forced them to flee the country using legislation and repression from the Nuremberg Laws to the Kristallnacht pogroms. At the same time, many countries were closing their borders, while complicated visa procedures often made it impossible to find refuge.

In a world of bureaucratic walls, a special role was played by the diplomats – people who, thanks to their access to documents and international contacts, could provide the persecuted with escape routes.

Ładoś Group – the passport operation

The exhibition centers around the story of the Ładoś Group, which operated in the Polish Legation in Bern in neutral Switzerland. The group leader was Aleksander Ładoś, the head of the Polish diplomatic mission. He cooperated with other Polish diplomats: Stefan Ryniewicz, Konstanty Rokicki and Juliusz Kühl, as well as Jewish activists: Chaim Eiss and Abraham Silberschein.

Their cooperation resulted in one of the largest rescue operations carried out by diplomats during the Second World War. The group obtained blank passport forms of various Latin American countries – mostly Paraguay, but also Honduras, Peru and Haiti – and filled them with the personal details of Jews from occupied Europe. It was Konstanty Rokicki who entered the data by hand.

Thanks to these documents, their holders were treated as foreigners by the German authorities. They were not sent directly to extermination camps, but instead could be placed in internment camps or exchanged for German prisoners of war. For many people, the passports were their only chance for survival.

How did the “passport factory” operate?

One of the most fascinating themes of the exhibition is the workings of the passport operation. As rumors began to spread in occupied Poland that life-saving documents could be obtained in Switzerland, the neutral state was flooded with thousands of letters and postcards – often written in code – with pleas for help.

The personal details of people in need of aid were passed to Chaim Eiss and Abraham Silberschein, who cooperated with Polish diplomats. Passport blanks were purchased from the consulate of Paraguay, which was situated next to the Polish Legation. Filled-out documents were stamped by the honorary consul of that country, and then their copies were smuggled to the ghettos and camps across occupied Europe.

The operation was carried out in secret and under the constant risk of exposure. In 1943, the Swiss police found out about these activities and opened an investigation. Then Aleksander Ładoś personally intervened with the Swiss authorities, defending the steps taken by the legation. Eventually, the group avoided consequences. The operation was continued without the knowledge of the authorities.

The fates of passport holders

The holders of these passports were sent, among others, to the internment camp in Vittel in France. Although it was surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by the Germans, the living conditions at the camp were incomparably better than in the death camps. Nevertheless, when suspicions arose in 1943 regarding the authenticity of the passports, some prisoners were deported to Auschwitz.

The Bern diplomats initiated an international campaign for the Latin American countries to recognize the documents. Many people had their passports revalidated, but for some it was already too late.

Other diplomats who were saving Jews

The exhibition also presents the stories of other Polish diplomats who sought to rescue Jews in various parts of the world. Among them were:

• Feliks Chiczewski, a consul in Leipzig, who during the deportation of Jews in 1938 warned them about arrests and hid them in the building of the Polish consulate;
• Wojciech Rychlewicz, a consul in Istanbul, who helped the refugees obtain baptism certificates;
• Tadeusz Romer, an ambassador in Japan and later in Shanghai, who organized help for Polish Jews who had fled from Europe;
• Henryk Sławik, who operated in Hungary with the help of the locals to save thousands of Polish refugees of Jewish origin.

Long-forgotten heroes

After the war, many participants in the passport operation lived modest and often difficult lives. Konstanty Rokicki died in Switzerland in utter destitution; he was forgotten for many years. It was only in the 21st century that his role was properly recognized – in 2019, he was posthumously awarded the Righteous Among the Nations Medal.

Other members of the group did not talk about their activities for many decades. Many of the rescued Jews kept the passports in their drawers, but did not actually know who had issued the documents that saved their lives.

Unique documents and memorabilia

The exhibition features original documents from the passport operation: the diplomats’ handwritten notes, correspondence, passports and other archival materials that helped identify the rescued people. Among the valuable exhibits are private items donated by the families of those who participated in the events from over 80 years ago.

The exhibition presents both a large-scale diplomatic operation and human stories – tragic choices, courage in the face of danger and solidarity across divides.

Venue: Pilecki Institute Gallery in Dom Bez Kantów

11 Krakowskie Przedmieście Street, Warsaw

Opening hours:

Daily except for Mondays: 10:00–18:00

Thursdays: 10:00–20:00

(last admission 30 minutes before closing)