8th edition of commemorations in the Warsaw Garden of the Righteous will take place on September 26, 2022. The ceremony will be enhanced by an evening concert by Leszek Możdżer, Adam Palma, and Tomas Sanchez. Both events will be hosted by Jerzy Kisielewski.

On Monday, September 26, the Garden of the Righteous will plant trees and unveil commemorative stones for this year's Righteous. The eulogies will be read by:

• for Moshe Bejski – Francesco Cataluccio (representative of the Milan Foundation GARIWO, writer, and publisher);

• for Bronisław Geremek – Adam Michnik (journalist and historian, editor-in-chief of "Gazeta Wyborcza");

• for Wilhelm Hosenfeld – Wacław Oszajca (Jesuit, writer, poet, publicist) and Michał Jabłoński (pastor of the Evangelical-Reformed parish in Warsaw)

• for Antonina and Jan Żabiński – Dr. Andrzej Kruszewicz (director of the Warsaw Zoological Garden).

The ceremony will take place at 13:00 in the Warsaw Garden of the Righteous on the square of Gen. Jan Jura-Gorzechowski.

The event will be enhanced by an evening concert for the Righteous, during which outstanding jazz musicians – Leszek Możdżer, Adam Palma, and Tomas Sanchez will perform. The concert will start at 18:00 in the auditorium of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews POLIN, which is a co-organizer of the ceremony. Information on how to obtain a free ticket for the concert will soon appear on the websites: just and honest.dsh.waw.pl and dsh.waw.pl, as well as on the Facebook page of the Meeting House with History.

As Secretary of the Garden of the Righteous Committee, Anna Ziarkowska emphasizes: "In these difficult times, we especially need the Righteous – they give hope to the world".

Who are the Righteous?

The title of Righteous is posthumously awarded to individuals who saved the lives of others or fought for human freedom and dignity during Nazism and communism, genocides, mass murders, and crimes against humanity committed in the 20th and 21st centuries. The names of the honorees are announced every year on March 6th, the European Day of Remembrance for the Righteous. The selection is made by the Garden of the Righteous Committee from the submitted nominations. It includes distinguished figures from the world of education, culture, and representatives of non-governmental organizations.

This year's honorees

Moshe Bejski (1920–2007) – Israeli lawyer, judge and chairman of the Commission of the Righteous of the Yad Vashem Institute, initiator of the Gardens of the Righteous in Jerusalem and co-creator of the definition of "Righteous Among the Nations". We owe to him the methodology of verifying submissions and the acceptance of decision-making criteria as well as the recognition of the popularization of the memory of the Righteous as a fundamental element of the memory of the Holocaust.

Bronisław Geremek (1932–2008) – historian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, recipient of the Order of the White Eagle, laureate of the Charlemagne Prize, co-creator of the peaceful transformation of Poland striving for democracy. He worked to strengthen the position of free Poland on the international stage and pave the way for membership in NATO and the European Union. In 2004, he was awarded the Legion of Honor; he was a laureate of numerous high state, international distinctions and prestigious awards honoring his academic activity. This year, in accordance with the resolution of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, we are celebrating the Year of Bronisław Geremek.

Wilhelm Hosenfeld (1895–1952) – a soldier of the Wehrmacht awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations and the Commander's Cross of the Order of Rebirth of Poland for helping Poles and Polish Jews during the occupation. Władysław Szpilman said of him, "He is the only man in a German uniform I met". Wilhelm Hosenfeld left behind diaries filled with stories of callousness toward others and compassion, but his true legacy is the people he saved.

Antonina (1908–1971) and Jan (1897–1974) Żabiński – Jan was the founder and director of the Warsaw Zoological Garden. During the occupation, the Żabiński couple operated on many fronts of conspiracy, and from their home on the site of the destroyed zoo, they created a shelter where people and animals found refuge. In the testimonies of the Survivors compiled after the war, we can read about the extraordinary dedication, courage, and modesty of the former hosts of the Warsaw zoo. During the war, 300 people of Jewish descent passed through their home. For their assistance, Jan and Antonina Żabiński were honored with the title of Righteous Among the Nations.

Warsaw Garden of the Righteous

The first Polish Garden of the Righteous was established in 2014 in Warsaw at the initiative of the Meeting House with History and the Italian Foundation GARIWO, with the support of the Mayor of the Wola District. This place has a special symbolism. The garden was created on the site of the former ghetto, in the vicinity of Pawiak and the church of St. Augustine, which as the only building survived in its entirety in the ruined Muranów during the war. It is the only place in Poland that combines the memory of different events and experiences – it commemorates the Righteous of many cultures, religions, and nationalities.

The garden is located on the square of Gen. Jan Jura-Gorzechowski. So far, the following have been honored: Władysław Bartoszewski, Hrant Dink, Marek Edelman, Natalia Gorbaniewska, Magdalena Grodzka-Gużkowska, Petro Hryhorenko, Julia Ilisińska, Jan Jelinek, Jan Karski, Roberto Kozak, Rafał Lemkin, Ewelina Lipko-Lipczyńska, Antonia Locatelli, Nelson Mandela, Hasan Mazhar, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Karol Modzelewski, Stanisław Pietrow, Witold Pilecki, Anna Politkowska, Emanuel Ringelblum, Arsienij Borisowicz Roginski, Raoul Wallenberg, Armin Wegner, Antonina and Aleksander Wyrzykowscy, Liu Xiaobo, Jan Zieja and Adalbert Wojciech Zink.

Organizer: Meeting House with History
Partners: Foundation GARIWO, Museum of the History of Polish Jews POLIN, Recipe for Muranów
Strategic partner of the project: BNP Paribas Bank Polska S.A.