Łódź holds state funerals for children killed in Nazi camp

State funeral ceremonies were held in Łódź for ten Polish children who died in the German Nazi camp Kinder-KL Litzmannstadt during World War II. The victims, who had remained in anonymous graves for over 80 years, were identified following extensive archaeological and exhumation work conducted by the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) between 2023 and 2024.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki attended the ceremonies, which included a mass at St. Wojciech Church and a military-assisted burial at the Kurczaki cemetery. During the service, the President emphasized the importance of restoring dignity and identity to the youngest victims of Nazi brutality.

The camp, located in a section of the Łódź ghetto, held between 2,000 and 3,000 children and adolescents, many of whom were descendants of the resistance movement. Approximately 200 minors are estimated to have died there due to hunger, disease, exhaustion, and brutality. While DNA testing allowed for the full genetic identification of two individuals, Zdzisław Kafarski and Henryk Słaboszewski, the identities of the others were established through historical documentation and anthropological research.