Shtetl (full documentary) | FRONTLINE
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- Опубліковано 24 січ 2022
- A search for the lives and memories of an entire Jewish village lost in the Holocaust. (Aired 1996)
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FRONTLINE travels back in time to a family shtetl with producer Marian Marzynski, who escaped the Warsaw ghetto as a child.
The remarkable three-hour documentary tells the homecoming story of two elderly Polish-American Jews who return to their families’ shtetl in Bransk, Poland, where 2,500 Jews lived before most were sent to Treblinka’s gas chambers. These two Americans are aided in their journey by a Polish Gentile, who has restored Bransk’s Jewish cemetery and researched the lives of the Jews who once lived there. The film captures these pilgrims as they face old neighbors, some who were betrayers, others who were saviors to the Jews of Bransk.
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I am a Pole and the first thing that struck me was how enormously Poland has changed since 1996. As a teenager, I was as fascinated by the world of our fellow Jews as Zbyszek. To this day, I visit Jewish cemeteries and places where they lived. I am aware that among my countrymen there were not only great people who risked their lives saving Jews, but also mean people, criminals. I would like to prove to all Jews in the world that among Poles today there are people who sincerely identify with these heroes who save human life, regardless of religion, skin color and sexual orientation. I am very happy to see the revival of Jewish culture in Poland. Great museums are created showing the life of Jews in Warsaw, Czestochów, etc. Jewish districts are reborn, just like in Krakow. Objective movies are made. Let us not forget either the good or the bad. The overriding goal of each of us is education, building bridges and promoting love and tolerance.
Education is the key
What has transpires in Gaza since October has stripped support for the Jewish people. Year's of trying to educate people's of the dangers of, anti people because of other people's differences. No religion is worth dying for. Religion devides it always has from its conception to this day. It has never brought people together through free will. Coercion of every kind has been used to first recruit people and to keep them there anyway they can. It's a one way business, tides are their cash flow. Their buildings are fronts with a well oiled machine running. The streams of wealth they have flowing into the banks 24/7 who do the people think gets all this wealth, they don't think they are condishioned not to think but to follow and shut their mouths. The truth of all religion's. We are logical beings, ask yourself what has religion ever done for you. Either your going to make a excuses or say it like it is, ! 🤔. ✌🏽 ☘️
Yes
Oyy veyyy
Importing millions of foreigners into Poland is being done almost exclusively due to pressure of globalist, Jewish led orgs. Hope you enjoyed Poland - because it’s gonna be gone soon. You can thank Jews for that.
This is the most moving experience of Jewish powerlessness and painful feeling I have ever listened to. God help humanity.
How can anything be learned or taught when they have blinders on 🙏🙏🙏🙏🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️
Humanity must help humanity.
AMEN 🙏
@@marlenerowland1983 We're all in this together.
@@vickybennett2163 Amen.
Possibly one of the most moving, desperately haunting documentaries of this time I have I ever watched (in 2024).
Then you have never seen documentaries on the horrors, the absolutely brutal horrors of American slavery.
So sad that even their gravestones were stolen and vandalized, may they all rest in peace.
In Europe it was quite common practice to take the stones from Jewish cemataries and use them for pavements and roads. thus, erasing centuries of history in Germany in Eastern Europe. The Nazis claimed superiority, as did many euro countries, the were as history shows Greedy Human Scum of the Earth
Gravestones were taken by the germans and sold.(listen attentively)
@@aureliapop561 They were used as pavement! Listen carefully, 26th minute... that IS vandalizing!
@@creamydistortionWhich responsibilities are todays Germany supposed to carry?
Polacks are major recipients of EU subventions, while Germany after Denmark are main contributors...
@@creamydistortion they must be punished more. Germans are evil
I'm 20 minutes in ...I'm torn between rewinding back to the start to better drink in the tremendous beauty and sadness of this film that I began watching slightly carelessly but now has all my focus ...and carrying on until the end then watching it again .
So astonishingly carefully narrated. What is said and what is not said but somehow hangs in the air is a delicate dance that is rare .
To all involved, thank you .
Well said, Bob. Though I personally gave my complete undivided attention start to finish I still couldn't help, but watch it again.
Either choice is phenomenal!!🎥 🍿
I rewound it most of the way and watched it again, because I did the same as you!
Same boat! Only gave it half of my attention for the first 3 or so minutes so hopefully I’ll be good from here on out given your comment and countless others echoing the same!
The tragedy is the same for all tribes of people. Only a very few will help the outsiders and strangers, most care less, some are villains in their heart of hearts. No one wants to say it these days in the year 2022, but most people are evil, more evil than good. I don’t want to say this, but it is true. Almost all humans live enveloped in fear, even when there is peace and tranquility, fear dominates their lives, and they will resort to treachery at the first tiny risk. … my hero is Jesus, a Jew Who was rejected and executed by the vast majority of his own people. My favorite parable, the best story that he told in my opinion, and he told so many beautiful stories, it is “the good Samaritan.“ In that story, a robbed, beaten, and dying man was saved by a stranger from another tribe, I hated Tribe, when prior to that, members of his own tribe past him by. The story is beautifully told in the Bible, and in just a couple of sentences, you learn all you need to learn about the treachery in the hearts of most humans and in the goodness in the hearts of the very few. God Almighty I wish that goodness was not so rare.
we keep telling ourselves “never again” and yet we turn a blind eye to what’s going on in the world right now… the only thing we learn is we never learn…
This will continue as long as some people are considered to be more "chosen" than others.
Its a terrible shame.
China is doing it right now and the IOC is ok with it and I guess all these "woke" athletes are too since none will mention china in any bad light.
@@khronin you know there are people much more worthy of your displeasure than athletes right?
@@khronin great comment, well said
My father was a teenager in the Holocaust, a survivor of Sobibor. Until the age of 90 he traveled all over the world to tell people of his experiences so that the world would not forget.
♥️♥️
@@polarisjustdothework2258 Survivor of Sobibor, how rare and unbearable, what we did to him and all those we murdered there. 😭😭😭
Menzelda,
YOU didn’t murder anybody there.
I have younger cousins in Germany who get positively SHAT ON by those of nearby countries for nothing more than being German.
They had nada to do with the Holocaust but still get treated badly.
Assuming responsibility that is not yours takes it away from those who should be named and shamed.
I assume he wasn’t there when there was that escape?
@@Ira88881 Yes he was! He was 15. He wrote a book about it called The Promise at Sobibor.
I’m watching this in 2023. It strikes me seeing the old people, who probably passed away already since this was filmed in 1996, recall the stories how they saw themselves with their own 2 eyes what happened to the Jews from their town 😔
T8
T8jt
@@corolla62 huh? What does it mean. It is not listed in slang terms.
Our uncle Henry was liberated from aushwitz. He was the only survived in his family. His brother was killed the day before liberation. Henry escaped but had been captured again. When liberated a nice polish women help get his group food ect. Her name was Hilda. She became Henry wife.
Henry and Hilda , just wonderful people. Our grandmother's
family came to U.S.A. IN THE 1930'S. Henry was the only one that survived and a polish women helped him .
Why dont you go back home?
@@antskaljurand3091 Are you antisemetic?
@@ingridvanderhorst9140 I want a home for my people just like the rest of the world including Jews if this makes me a antisemetic than so be it.
@@antskaljurand3091
Who are your people?
@@davidschalit907 Lots of questions whats your point?
This is an incredible documentary. Thank you to everyone who was involved in making it. How hurtful it must have been to the Jewish survivors of this town. It broke my heart. The courage that it took for the two gentlemen in tracing back their early memories of hell on earth. I’m so sorry for your pain. Let us never forget our humanity. ☮️
God bless you and your precious family in the of the Christ Jesus Our Lord📜 📖 👑 🦁 🕊 🕯 🍞 🍷 ⛪
Most American Jews have similar stories. My grandparents are from shtetls in Ukraine, but left before the communist takeover. It's almost certain if they had stayed they would have been victims of the Nazis.
Europien Jews are very hardworking and creative people, they are kind people and not aggressive or angry that is why they get bullying through the centuries by others who jealous of them and wants their money.
@@nudnikjeff I'm glad they had courage to leave.
And all other towns in Poland and Roemenië and Gd knows where else. Dont tell me pls! you never heard of this
God bless Zbyszek for everything he has done to preserve the history of the Jews who once lived in Bransk. He is a kind and decent man who was raised by a great Mother and Father.
Also, his parents giving up their bedroom for their guests and sleeping in a tent outside is what a true and humble Christian would do. Something similar was done for my parents when they were driving in Mexico for their honeymoon in June 1958. Outside of Monterrey when their car broke down, they were given the only bed in the house by the older couple that sheltered them that night in the countryside.
My heart broke when the old woman told her story...you can see that even after all the years her heart was heavy watching what happened
Unfortunately she's not aware of Soviet instigation of ethnic violence in 1945-46 (e.g. Kielce, Rzeszów) against one specific religious minority, which was admitted by leading communist intelligence officer Anatol Fejgin in 1990 interview and which is being barely researched in the West, contrary to Central and Eastern Europe, even though Iron Curtain has fallen.
Does anyone know if she is still alive?
The section of Torah stashed somewhere by Polish children, and hearing it haltingly recited once again in Jewish intonation, wow. Brought the tears.
1:56:00
I cried, at this part , when she said that her mother said that shoot me first so i could not see my baby's death,but they shot the baby first, that was , made me doubt humanity, im not Jewish, i am kurd from IRAN but i have sympathy....i dont know what to say, the day of judgement , people that have done bad and wrong must answer....
Gasoline a convenient easy means to
trample anyone unlike themselves; Bless
Athletes from anywhere that negate this.
One day God willing the Kurdish people will have their own country!
@Black Hawk...I cried like a baby!! How utterly cruel and inhumane!! I never would have believed that there are actually people in this world that were born without a soul!!
Religion has caused more death and destruction than any other thing since humans populated it. Does not matter what banner they believe under; it separates and causes so many issues. Thankfully the United States seem to be not as bad as it used to be, but it's still there, and in other countries it's still everything. Sad really.
Yes, people have sympathy. But these days I find that sympathy is only for certain people who suffer injustices and hardship-- for those who can be deemed blameless. If you are not blameless, people may say, "Oh, that's a shame," but then they will just turn away and forget.
Thanks also all the poles who helped the Jews. תודה רבה! 🇧🇷
Obligado parabens du Perú
This is one of the most excruciatingly beautiful pieces I've ever seen. I cannot begin to critique it in any way... I just have no words .. only emotion, great sadness.
We must never forget.
The young guy in the mustache is what the world needs more of. Just a nice human being doing what he is doing because it is the right thing to do. Not for any other reason.
He bailed out as soon as he had to chance to better himself, everyone has his price. He s a lost cause
@@annesarens5388 Plse specify how he "bailed out".
@@annesarens5388
Nonsense!
He’s probably the smartest person left in Bryansk. Unfortunately, he is now in politics and must serve the people who elected him.
@@annesarens5388 haha this is knowledge , he provided us , more valuable than all the gold in the world
I kept thinking about what's happening right now in school districts across the country, banning books and trying to control what is taught, so that no one is made uncomfortable by the "unpleasant" things in our history.
We're like a lot of the Poles in this town - hiding from history and angry at those who disrupt our pretense.
I love the format. The personal stories and family pictures really brought the prewar town and Jewish community to life.
These stories and this history is, or should be, important to all of us.
Very well said.
Yes! I'm in total agreement!
We're not "banning" books there's plenty of books throughout history that have not been authorized for school use. Pornography for one. if you want your child to learn about the virtues of homosexuality and scat take them to an adult bookstore
@@donwrinkles717 They just banned Maus, a graphic novel about the Holocaust depicting mice. I guess showing a few naked mice is somehow salacious? And, when did Toni Morrison or Maya Angelou write pornography?
Prime time TV is more lascivious.
@@sandevieira5674 why do I need a graphic novel depicting the Jewish people as rodents, in same manner Notsee propaganda did, to learn about the Holocaust? I went to school in the 90s and learned about the Holocaust. it was horrible..The 1930's NotSee propagandists used rats as well. Furthermore, the books aren't "banned," you can check them out at any public library or buy them online. Stop being so manipulative.
My great grandmother escaped as an infant with her parents to America during the Russian pogroms. I always wanted to visit the shtetl she came from, but I know it would be much like this documentary. And all those who saw all of the men of the family exterminated are long dead, as well. I'm just glad my great grandmother made it. Though she hid her Judaism her entire life, and practiced as a Lutheran, I discovered the truth when doing my family genealogy. This documentary hit me. Beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.
This is a beautiful documentary. The way they cared for the gravestones, I was very impressed and humbled by this!!
That was the most moving and most BEAUTIFUL part of the Documentary. What an ACTION of Respect to those who have passed away; by rebuilding a graveyard… absolutely beautiful … still sad the documentary Entirely but that was beautiful
I love how the Gentile neighbor has a such fond memories of a playing Jewish folk songs with his friends and neighbors.
Very sad story that should be told and never forgotten
This was one of the best documentaries I have seen. Heartrending and powerful. Beautifully told. I also applauded the Polish historian's efforts to try and bring the truth to light. They shall not be forgotten.
I am an Indian and I am a 'dalit' an oppressed class community from India. Our community suffered the atrocities from 'hindu' an upper caste community. I can relate the sufferings of jews.
God bless you
Still you so called dalits ENJOY everything for FREE,you guys betray everyone and survive on fake victimhood
really ? there are instances of reverse also happening. Look , I am against caste discrimination and stand for annihilation of caste or whatever . but then to say genocide happened , you need to be joking.
Dalits never had pogroms like what jews or any community faced. I say this coz I have spoken to people who lost all they had in the 1948 anti brahmin pogroms of maharashtra or those who left their homes in kashmir hindu exodus 1990.
Reservations and Jewish Quota have a lot more similarity with a purpose to restrict or entry so that you can have a revenge. But then lemme tell a thing , most of us are tolerating these policies . we just can leave this country and this nation will have nothing . now you are gonna stop whining and start doing something instead of being mislead by ambedkarites
@@abhinavs4326 reservation is not revenge my friend it's a mechanism to bring the population on track who were deprived for thousands of years since there were no other means as an alternative to 'hridaypari vartan' of upper caste which has limited scope since their credibility is doubtful. Reservation is also a good mechanism that promotes social and political representation which has given the opportunity to different sections of classes and societies within the community to elect representatives so that they can participate in nation building.
@@niketgamre913 i personally stand for the elimination of all jati varna caste whatever. I am okay with reservation for sc and st but ain't tolerating reservation for obc and also this evil cycle of having reservation for like 4 generation
I support reservation with sunset Clause And that too only for sc and st
it'd be *wonderful* for Frontline to dig more into their archives for the benefit of our collective knowledge...
Clearly, it's coming.
Not only for altruistic reasons, but, perhaps they finally figured out that they earn more money posting their docs than they ever did trying to sell DVDs.
Yeah, read the incel troll comments. Dire need.
@@paillette2010 I honestly try not to, preferring to entirely distance myself from that nonsensical hatred
@@TheReturnOfStephan1 You are so ridiculously right!
Their website has them
So sad and yet riveting to watch from beginning right till the end , That young Polish Man was an exceptionaly Decent Man who Deserves recognition for His remarkable work .
I agree with you, right up till the end when he had the chance to be truly courageous but decided the title “Vice Mayor” was more important to him than 500 years of the Jewish history of his town. MLK was courageous. Medgar Evers was courageous. They knew the TRUE definition of courage: being afraid, but doing the right thing ANYWAY. It cost THEM their lives. They thought their message was more important than some idiotic “title.”
@@gregusmc2868 It's easy to judge others. I wonder what you would do in his place.
@@JWy-gh7fm I agree totally. I like to think I’d do what needed to be done but I won’t ever know that now.
@@gregusmc2868
Give it a rest.
I'm Jewish and I have no problem with him. He did so much. The documentary doesn't happen without him. His actions at the end were not because of wanting to be vice Mayor. They were because he had to live in that town. He did all he could. I appreciate it and this documentary that he helped make a reality.
@@davidschalit907 He did ALMOST all he could. Enjoy your rest.
I have no words but only emotions for this documentary. Zybszek… thank you for helping out these 2 gentlemen who started it all. I believe that that in every nation’s history… there’s no perfection. No absolute kindness, no absolute tyranny. It’s just that we all learn from our mistakes, experiences and downfalls. In January 2022 if anyone watches this… May have a different view of Polish peoples’ treatment of the Jews… but come end of February 2022… I’m sure they are feeling and thinking differently. At the of the day we are all given the chance to redeem ourselves.
We all can’t be the judge here because all those survivors have survived differently. They all have real stories that we can only listen, wonder, admire, feel sad about and despair. They survived. Some were helped, some were betrayed but managed to survive and tell their stories.
Thank you for all those who made this possible for us to view and learn from.
Don't be naive! Even in our time Poland is busy denying and even punishing by law anyone "hurting" the honour of Poland! Free judicial system and press doesn't exist anymore!
An acknowledged Historian published the truth about Polacks massacring fellow Jews in Jedwapne and were attacked.
Thank you
My ancestors had to escape Czechosklovakia...the bravery constantly amazes me
Thank you again
My family as well. Those that stayed died in Sobibor...
@@missypuffin8985 nice to meet you
Extremely powerful documentary, very thought provoking. Though it is a very sad subject this is a must watch programme.
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This documentary is incredible and the young polish guy should have gotten the Nobel prize for all he did .
Nah only war criminals can get Nobel Peace prizes like Obama
What did he do. He backed out for his own gain
@@SnakeBush yes indeed
@@annesarens5388 he is a voice and acts on reconciliation, no matter how the inhabitants in Bransk treat him
@@annesarens5388 He discovered the truth for all of us who want to know the real history, also had saved a lot of documents too. He made it clear for whomever want to know the truth, however you have to understand that he lives there with his family and he cant risk his life and peace... As a good citizen he did a lot, if everyone does what he did, we would live in a perfect world, but unfortunately perfect world doesn't exist...
What an amazing and heartfelt young man that Polish guy was (what was his name??) preserving the history of the Jewish people of Bransk, Poland. We need more like him. Very touching.
Zbyszek Romaniuk
-Maybe Zbigniew
my history teacher, Zbigniew Romaniuk
How lucky you are.perfect job for this gentleman.
@@dianagiurow7226 I'm sorry for you. His lack of courage and accountability is absolutely shameful. I would not claim this with pride.
@@dianagiurow7226 when was he your history teacher? I am trying to be fearlessly optimistic about the potentials we all have to learn from history and our potential to be lifelong learners. Did he go on to teach about the history of his nation and local home community that includes Jewish people and the times before, during and after WWII and the Holocaust? What ages group were his history students. Did he leave politics? If yes, why? It seems to me perhaps his life journey has the potential for improved actions and understanding himself and others after this was filmed.. What are some of your thoughts and feelings about the documentary? Did he go on to continue to recover any more gravestones, etc.? Did he have his students review this documentary? Or what led to you being aware of it to be able to comment here? Thank you very much for being willing to share any more information.
I am British. A 60 year old female. I have always been fascinated by the Jewish culture and their history. I found this film a compelling watch and very emotional.
I watched this documentary with lots of attention and interest. The most touching moment for me was when the Jewish-American lady showed the original family table cloth from the shtetl she had brought with her in 1938 when her family left Poland for the US. She talked about this piece of fabric with some much love and nostalgia and how it reminded her of the lost civilisaiton, her friends and family that were no longer with her. This movie sequence brought back the smells, the colours, the sounds, the light from my 13 years spent in one of those shtetls in northeastern Poland. My family roots are originally from there but I was born in the US and shared my childhood years between the US and Poland. My family, my house are gone forever like in the case of many Jews who were present in this documentary. The movie also triggered my painful memories of the rough and brutal Polish peasants who treated me and my family the same manner they once treated the Jews - they were jealous of the fact that we were more successful in life than them, had more money and family connections in the US. They also imagined that we had treasures and that even our house walls were covered with US dollars. I think this is the very root of Anti-Semitism in Poland - the impoverished Polish peasants blaming their misfortune on the people who were able with their hard work and ingenuity to better their lives. I believe that envy and low self-esteem are the very source of evil in our societies.
@Private Citizen I`m not a survivor but my mother was. She was 9-years old when the war broke out. My family wasn`t Jewish though. However, the Poles and Jews only differed in religion practices in many cases and their cultures were very similar as they lived side by side for 700 years. In June 1944, my uncles were sent to Gross Rosen concentration camp and my aunt to labour camp in Lindenau near Koenigsberg. My family members were part of the Polish resistance army and got caught by the nazis. When they came to arrest my uncles during the night, a German soldier threatened to shoot my mother who was 14 at the time. She never recovered from the trauma and passed it on my and my siblings. There is something like transgenerational trauma. It affects children of the survivors.
@Private Citizen Please re-read Mr. Green’s comment, this time for comprehension. He did not make any such statements.
@@patrickgreen9619 Indeed it does. Trauma becomes embedded in the DNA and thus, trans generational. That’s a fact, simply science. Those who deny solid scientific research can walk to the edge of their flat earth and jump.
Thank you Mr. Green for sharing your history. Please take care, my friend.
@Private Citizen You’re right and I’m sorry. Nothin’ quite like stickin’ my keyboard in my mouth, eh?! I need to take my own comment and go “read for for comprehension.” Thank you for politely calling me out; when I’m wrong I’m wrong, right? ;-)
PS: Will you be my Valentine Editor? I promise I’ll eat the keyboard in contrition after you make the same corrections for the bibtyth time, OK?
Best wishes, thanks again and please take care. I appreciate your comment and equally as appreciated is the history lesson. :-)
The poor has ALWAYS been manipulated by the powerful.... The poor never ever revolted against other poor ...
I am moved deeply by this documentary and Nathan's and Mariusk's life history. I have tears.
Great documentary; an eye opener to say the least!!
So many moments that provoke deep thought and emotions, one that's going to stay with me was the older gentlemen, now a garment business owner in the US, recounting his escape from the Germans during his visit back in his old town in Poland, to watch him, a man in his mid- 70s, demonstrate how he ran, till he reached the house he was given refuge at, was amazing, this man actually mentally and physically went back in time, running with the stride and gait he had when he was 19, this level of emotions was amazing to watch, he was reliving that moment in time!
This broke my heart.
The young polish man, what hero. What a treasure. There would be no documentary without him.
In the end though he was getting enough of being the only person fighting for any regognition of any Jewish history in Bransk. He was slowly leaving his fight behind. No one left to remember.
Plenty of people to remember, none who want to.
I got the impression he was quietly continuing with his personal quest. It seems bringing Jews back to Bransk stirred up a lot of feelings, many unwelcome. I don't think his previous efforts with the cemetry etc caused as much of a problem, as people arriving and trying to track down who had betrayed them, etc.
I think the attitude of the Jewish high school students changed him.
@@Queen-of-Swords I have to agree with your there . I think your spot on.
@@sharonkeller8367 There is a problem with placing a blanket of blame upon a whole nation or ethnicity. Right?
It's not simply that we should never forget, but that we must also teach each generation about the rich history of the Jewish people, and of cultures across the world. Špaček is truly a light in the darkness. That his genuine curiosity led him to become a beacon of hope for so many American Jewish immigrants is inspiring. Very often it's our lack of understanding that makes people afraid of different cultures, which may and has lead to growing hatred. I'm a catholic Native American gentile who grew up next to a synagogue and our shared history throughout the world is something that can bring us closer as human beings.
Praise God Brother in Christ Jesus The Lord!📜📖👑🦁🕊🍞🍷⛪🕯
@@jonathannixon8652 I am also a Christian, but I see very little reason to bring it up?🤷🏽♂️
Respect and love regardless.
What a fabulous documentary. One of the best I have ever seen on this subject. I am so glad that people did these before everyone who remembered those terrible days were gone. Now the eye witnesses are no longer here to give their rebuttal to the lies of the deniers. I sometimes wonder how I would have acted if I knew I would be killed if I were caught helping jews. I hope I would have had the courage to take that risk and do what I know is right. They are human beings, just like the rest of us.
Zbyszek, what a noble and courageous man. Thank you very much. Also thanks to the producer of this very important history work.
I am touched by every single story and my heart goes out to the victims ❤️
Clearly not if the story happens to be a Jewish story. Can’t tell that one huh. 🤫
@@gregusmc2868 - OMG, are you dense, or without reading comprehension skills? Can't believe you wrote such a response to Sabine GroBe's post, as a USMC person, as your user names implies, you are clearly not well educated. Oh, but I forgot, the Military takes anyone these days.
All of it is troubling. I don’t think there has been any improvement in the last 70 years since all of this happened. I think people are stupider than ever. There is no excuse for this brutality, but there are explanations for why it could come about. Many people have talked about ENVY Here, and I think it is true. The Jewish people were very industrious and smart. At some point the Jewish people on just about everything and control major commerce. People become resentful of this, any of the outsiders. This is a problem that has to be dealt with in any situation where one group dominates, and you can see it all over the world. In the Philippines, finance is controlled by Chinese, and on the black market, people from India. You don’t think the Filipino people resent this to some extent? We have to come to the realization that some ethnic groups, and some peoples are more pushy and more domineering, and that those that are not are going to resent them. The pushy people need to be aware of this, and they need to make amends. They should not monopolize industries and they should not exclude the practice of free commerce. Certainly there are no excuses for this sad genocide, but there are reasons it happened that are not just about one side is evil and the other side is good. No way is this the case. But certainly one side is more evil, and those are the killers!
@@steveperreira5850 you hit the nail on the head ! After the diaspora many Jews came to Lucca in Italiy and from there to the SCHUM city’s of Germany . They had a history of 1700 years living here. But already in Italy they weren’t allowed to tripartite society, being a baker or a miller. So for centuries they had time to become the best in trade/money !
Yet Germany didn’t have as much anti-semitism like Portugal or Spain.
Even before WWI and after it was known to be progressive.
But with Paris 1919 , the hyperinflation 1923 and such figures like Ludendorff ( disgusting 🤮 ) and an ailing old Hindenburg, radical‘s stood a chance.
Envy and hate are so destructive and I wish people would read more about history, then only watching TV .
Your assessment is stunning 🤩 and thank you so much ☺️
@@steveperreira5850 Yes they sure do control a lot and that's great but any and all things about WW2 never speak of the Italians or Gypsys who were also killed. Also, ironic you used the word "stupider" since that isn't a word at all 🤪🤪
Thank you PBS for this poignant and sobering documentary 🙏.
The interesting thing is that Marian Marzyński is still alive and well at 84 years of age. It would be really enlightening if he could go back to Bransk and do a short documentary with Bizsek detailing how life is there now. Almost 30 years have passed since the original documentary was filmed and it would be interesting to see if local perspectives have changed in that time.
@@meredithe6986 Really? How many times have you visited Poland and when was the last time?
@@meredithe6986 Ignorant and angry. Glad I don't know you.
After spending so much time with Zbyszek, and his actions at the town celebration, I wonder if Marian was hurt by his not mentioning the Jews at all during his speech. I think Marian was correct when he said there are two Zbyszeks. I don’t know if much will have changed there in 30 years, and there’s always the possibility that Zbyszek grew tired of the harassment and stopped his research altogether. It was evident how much the graffiti and the accusations bothered him.
NOthing has changed, with the current far right government in Poland, anti semitism is more back than ever
@@berndfeldhaus8127 it is so weird because their opponents are saying that they are all Jews and represent jewish agenda and that kaczynskis real name is Kalkenstein.
I'm watching this with tears in my eyes...... Still amazed about how human beings can do this!
I cannot imagine what must be in the hearts of these two men. Those people had lived and interacted together for centuries, and still 'the other'. When the opportunity presented all of the resentment that had built became reactionary.
An extraordinary documentary. Very powerful. To all who interacted, to those who made it all happen, thank you.
Such a powerful documentary, leaving many thought provoking questions. I'll be turning them over and over in my mind for a very long time.
Apart from incredible content and historical account from so many. The best take away from this documentary is the discussion it creates and keeps alive.. we MUST keep all conversations alive, Jew, Muslim, Christian and those who don’t hold faith close to their hearts. When conversations stop, war escalates… again
As long as it’s good faith discussion and not the hyperbolic all caps typing and screaming, the smashing of nuanced discussion and the totally one sided ignorance in which one side will deny the entire story of the other That is quite common and it is unfortunate.
Thankyou for portraying this part of Jewish history I knew nothing about. Envy is something many humans do when they lack opportunity , drive and luck. If it morphs into coveting and worse, evil is loosed it seems. It saddens me that people who profess to be Christians have intolerance and can go to such extremes as to hurt others. My words are so inadequate for the sorrow in me about all intolerance in this world.
Delmarie, your words said it all; I didnt respond to any of the comments till now. A true tear is running down my cheek. I'm a Christian & you r right in your assessment of intolerance. If we can continually keep love for others, acceptance of people & their differences as a priority in our hearts, I believe it will go a long way to mend parts of the past and pave a better future 4 all. TY for your statement, it touched me deeply. ❤🩹*❤🩹*❤🩹
I know how you feel, though whether we have words for it or not. I suppose that random acts of kindness are all we can do to try and make up for it; so that someone, somewhere has a small faith in humanity restored.
Ty for remembering We are Russian Jews. The horrors my grandmother use to tell us you bring to life so the rest of the world can see what happened Never Forget
I'm flabbergasted.what a history.. after seeing half of it, I had to stop.. it's too much to swallow in one go.. the makers of the docu deserve a golden globe in my opinion.. I'm beginning to appreciate the American PBS more and more.. mainly because of it's uninterrupted quality! What a difference with the rest of TV out there..
I'm grateful that I had the chance to meet three Shoah survivors before they all passed away..even at nearly 36 years old, I am still obsessed with everybody that I can get my hands on that has to do with the Shoah.
Not digestible , raw pain.
A big gift to humanity, this documentary.
It is hard to watch this documentary without getting extremely mad and sad. Yet we humans never seem to learn from history for some stupid reason.
The same people that were victims here are now doing the same thing to another group of people, indeed we never learn
@@latuya5887 You are right. It is very unfortunate.
And now we live in a country where many people think that “erasing” history, which is ridiculous on its face, is the way to go. Pull down that statue! Change the name of this institution! I’m a historian and the ignorance of some of these “activists” is mind-numbing. That certainly will help us all to learn from history. Amazing how stupid some people can be.
I agree with Mr. Bwanika-this was hard to watch for anyone who has even a bit of humanity. As for the “Vice-Mayor” of Bransk makes abundantly clear with what he was unwilling to say publicly-politicians are the same the world over-which means that they are wherever the strongest “wind” blows them.
@@latuya5887 it's inevitable that ignorant people will make this claim.
The duality of good and evil is reflected here profoundly. That the pole who complacently spoke about taking the hidden/found goods as if they had belonged to no one and he blames the Germans for taking them from him. Astounding lack of compassion and insight on his part.
What is this young man doing today? His Hebrew was wonderful to hear. This was an incredible documentary, thank you for posting it.
I’d also like to know what happened to the polish historian! He was 29 when this was filmed, so he would probably be alive today. And I thought he was speaking Polish?
The narrators voice is so relaxing .
Yeah it makes his lies more believable
@@ChuckToddMeetThePressThere are not lies!😡😡
I can’t imagine having to live in those times we are very fortunate
Who is "we"? There are people around the neighborhood / globe that are doing your dirty work so that you can live in a gated or gilded delusion. These things are still going on. They are being done in your name. Have you complicitly switched sides and become like the ones that say, 'we didn't know what was happening in that next town over... ?'
You won't have to imagine living in *these* times as the USA goes full-Fascist in 2024 and there won't be anywhere for millions of refugees from the US to go.
@@kusheran Nothing like it was then I know because my parents come from Italy and I grew up hearing war stories
The Polish youth has immense moral fortitude to persevere against a culture that wants to brush what happened under the carpet of history, and the few Polish jews that would like to forget.
I'm grateful for finding this.
Tragic, dignified, honest ; we salute the dead and embrace the few who survived .
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I think everybody should watch this film to experience a visceral recount of a cruel and heart-wrenching story told many times before, yet surprisingly heartwarming at times.
A journey of self discovery looking for answers of the horrors of war, the extermination of a vibrant community in Poland and their memories consigned to oblivion.
Podesta John the mayor gave Jews to scientologist?
Never knew about this film. Glued to it, sight and sound, three hours straight. Extraordinarily insightful. Thanks for posting.
I am a 68 year old southern, Christian woman. Before her death, my British mother revealed that we were partial Jewish descendants of my dear grandmother, Miriam Klein Henry, who converted to Christianity in order to marry my grandfather. WW II scared Mom into never revealing this. I am proud of my Jewish heritage but so damned sorry that I don't know more other than that they were German and they are gone. I can only see them in Heaven.
It's terrifying that the young Jews don't understand the reality of German's occupation in Poland.
It's terrifying that you don't actually know that the real roots of the Holocaust were present in 1933. Long before the occupation of Poland.
this is a great comment and very true
Nie uczyli się prawdziwej historii. A dziś jest pustka ..😮
So sad that the young students didn't seem to realise they were displaying the same mindless bigotry and prejudice that they were accusing the poles of. 2 sides of the one coin.
How heartbreaking for many people, Jewish & Polish😟😢😢😢 This is an excellent documentary!!! Ice learned so much I didn't know before. Thank you!
You did not have world history in school?
@@annesarens5388 , Actually, I truly don't remember learning or being taught about the Holocaust! I was a very troubled young girl due to child sex abuse. I was suicidal. I remember wanting to die. However, now in my older years I read & learn as much as I can about world history. I'm in a much better place now.
@@normalopez3476 don't listen to this 'Anne' person. She writes the same garbage on many posts. I'm sorry you experienced that! {{HUGS}} from Lisa in Boston MA
@@LisaNH934 , Thank you for your kindness Lisa. Hugs to you too!🫂💜🌹😘
@@normalopez3476 thank you Norma! I will never refuse a free hug! 🤗 I'm very much like you - I am still learning so many things that I have either never been taught before or just fell out of my head! Lol - have a lovely week my friend 💗
What an absolutely amazing documentary! I can’t write any,ore without crying...
I literally gasped when those headstones were pulled up. Unbelievable.
Such an amazing video! The young man took it upon himself to make sure his community remembers.
These children are so young and do not see how dangerous that time was for everyone.
An amazing documentary, Thank you to everyone that made it possible.
As a first born American on my Fathers side. The reality of the Polish Jew expressed in this work gave more perspective on my Jewish side and what my family endured, the subsequent ending of their lives in the Holocaust and post war Poland. Thank You
As someone mentions below, I too believe the young historian should have gotten the NOBEL PRICE for all his work. I am so glad I saw this. Makes my BELIEF stronger: ONE person can make the difference. GOD BLESS ALL.
Thank you for this documentary... it was so thought provoking. Thanks to the 3 men who worked together to piece the information together. I was a little disappointed at the end, but I suppose when you have to live and want to thrive in your existence, I guess the Polish man took his own way of thinking to a large extent to be. I was sad to see the happiness the town had remembering their own, but even the Catholic Church decided to not let the history teach the people lessons, like first of all empathy for all who got murdered, and the lives changed or extinguished. Thanks to all of the great people on both sides that cared to put their life’s at risk for one another.💫🙏🏻💯✨
Wonderful, fascinating, heartbreaking. Thank you.
Thank you Marion and all involved in making this tremendously powerful film.
I'm still trying to digest it but, I will watch it again because there's so much in it
esp with what isnt being said up front, the depth of pain and sorrow and
everything that goes with all of this I can't explain except that I'm pleased
I came across this film. Thank you to everyone who did this cos its awesome.
Such a powerful and heart wrenching documentary. Makes me so sad for those poor souls.
I hurt so much in my heart 💔this is an incredibly raw exploration of the event’s surrounding the genocide. I can barely swallow from the pain hearing the atrocities! It has far reaching effects on families for generations…it wasn’t that long ago🥲💔 love throws fear aside, we each must ask ourselves, if anyone of us are in a position to help each other, will we succumb to fear or will we sacrifice our life for each another? I truly mean would anyone lay down their life and take a bullet for another person or family? Ask yourself? Until we can honestly self reflect, we are doomed to point the finger and doomed to repeat racism towards any targeted and marginalized people!!!
You, Literally paid no attention to this movie or you would not have submitted something so crass. This was about the passing of "Yiddish Civilization" which dominated Polish culture in the prewar period. The Nazis annihilated a whole socioeconomic culture.
It’s pretty messed up, Zbyszek Romaniuk simple for being interested in the history of his town, was shunned by both Christians as well as Jews, who both didn’t trust him, as they thought he had bad intentions. I wonder where Zbyszek Romaniuk is today?
I too would love to know
I looked him up and he has a Facebook. I couldn’t find much beyond that. Looks like he does post from time to time.
Maybe the way to go is how the Cambodians handled it?
Zbigniew Romaniuk is 59 today. He is the author of books, a historian, educator, regionalist and social activist, and until recently also the secretary of the city of Brańsk, previously chairman of the city council in Brańsk.
The young guy from the Polish village deserves a lot of credit. In the classroom scene a student mentions how he's trying to clear his conscience. The guy grew up in a village with an obvious ingrained antisemitism. But he has a critical mindset and sees beyond what those around him see as the truth. Someone like that is rare. Not someone who deserves to be shamed and ridiculed. He's not perfect. I do not agree with all his views but that doesn't mean I can't respect his willingness to try and learn and understand the complexity of what happened back then.
I’m 66, Jewish, and grew up in Brooklyn. Both sets of my grandparents came to America at the turn of the 20th Century from Poland and Ukraine, so they “escaped” way before the Nazis.
But they left because of the horrible antisemitism all around them.
I had friends whose PARENTS were in the camps, quite a few, and there was a wide disparity in their dispositions after enduring such torture. A few were extremely cold, bitter, and not what I would consider “nice” people.
But the majority were incredibly kind, loving, and let us kids get away with murder. (We were little monsters.) It wasn’t until I was older that I began to analyze this contradiction, how someone can be like they are after such a horrible history they experienced.
Thank you for this educational documentary. I am a second generation Lithuanian. My grandparents on both sides immigrated to America in 1909 and 1920. In Chicago they lived in the Lithuanian neighborhoods next to the Polish ones. I don't remember any animosity towards any polish or jewish person. Guess I have American values where everyone is free and equal. I know the African Americans who were initially kidnapped from their homeland, tortured, emotionally and physicslly tortured, and enslaved are still impacted by that travesty. I do anything I can to help.
What a thought provoking anecdote and well-said ending. That has been on my mind entirely. Especially with the disregard to tell their history. It’s such a shame.
The blacks were sold into slavery, by their own people.
@@victorblock3421 we are all human
there was no animosity in Chicago because there were no German soldiers in the streets perhaps
Sickos told lies about poop scat they called it and child sex abuse. Those comments where untrue
This doc is excellent and very instructive. Romaniuk, very brave. The life of the old jew who knew about geese should be made into a movie.
Incredibly moving & touching documentary & so very interesting to watch. My heart goes out to all Jewish peoples, who suffered and died and to all their living descendants. May their souls rest in eternal peace and may they never be forgotten. May God bless you all. To all involved, in the making of this documentary i say, Thank you, for sharing. My best wishes to all and take care.
I am watching this documentary through misty eyes from my easy life in comfort. What it reveals also about our current times is dark and scary. May their memory be for blessing. Never forget.
Yes, the piece is beautifully done. The final sentiment must be that, there are no bystanders at a riot. To be there and do nothing is participation of the worst kind.
Judging is easier than thinking. Have you ever risked your whole family lifes to save others? You never was on situation like this! So stop judging others.
I would like to think I would do the right thing but who knows what you would do if your life or children's life were in danger it's easy to be brave in your imagination
Said by someone who hasn't been in such a situation, very foolish words indeed.
@@keithbentley6081 Sorry, not meant that way. If you are were there is an issue you need to make a decision. Can I help, am I in danger? That's my take.
The villagers seems protected Jews that they liked maybe having good relationship or good memories between people makes a difference to taking a risk to hide them in WW2 Poland especially when hiding Jews put your own family or friends lives in harm's way if caught by the Nazi regime.
unbelievable documentary. Really one of the best.
One of the best docs I have seen
I can't believe i just watched this 3-hour Documentary. Absolutely fantastic work
Very powerful documentary that captures so much of the reality and the complexity. thankyou for the courage it took to make this amazing film.
I hope this narrator lives forever.
You hope yet you know NO ONE LIVES FOREVER.
Yes no one except Christ
Ms. Yaffa Eliach, I am so sorry for your losses. Yours is a most heartbreaking story. What an enlightening documentary. Thank you all for participating.
I have not watched this documentary yet as I write this. Just the Intro to this film made me write... I was born in Germany, in a small village of 1200 inhabitants. I was born almost a decade after the end of WWII. My parents lived through it as young adults. In this German village, there were five Jewish families, as my mother told me. My mother is the one who was born in that village, and so were her parents, and her grandparents, and several generations before that. She has deep roots there. My dad was from Hungary. Now, my Mom told me about WWII, and how in the time before the war, the Kristallnacht also took place there. The two Jewish families who had stores (one had a mercer store, the other a grocery store), saw their front windows shattered. All five families were deported. One morning, their houses were empty. According to my Mom, none of the villagers knew where they had gone, what had happened to them. As I grew older, this kept preoccupying my mind, so I came back to this event again and again. I just could not imagine how an entire village did not know how these families, who were part of the village as everybody else "before", had simply vanished. Eventually, I suggested to Mom that people had an idea, but were too afraid to say anything. So they pretended not to know. I also came to question why other families form the village ended up taking those houses and came to live in them, ever since.... how could they just get those houses? Did they "buy" them from somebody? How could they buy them if nobody of the owners was around to sell? Mom said she could not really explain it. Well, every time when I walked through our village and passed one of those houses, I felt like knocking on their doors and asking the occupants to explain to me how they ended up having those houses. I never acted on it though. Nonetheless, even today, many decades later, I still wonder about this. Maybe one day I will get the answer from someone who is willing to tell the whole truth, nothing but the truth.
Thank you for this documentary. Powerful evidence about how jealousy and envy, together with ignorance, can destroy a human being. Words from the bible becomes alive for me.
This was an excellent documentary. I can not imagine having to run and plea for my life because of religion and culture. I could not imagine living in fear, loosing my family, living in hell...my question is why do people not put themselves into the shoes of others, we all bleed the same blood. My heart really breaks for all of those that perished...innocent people but because they were of a different religion and different culture they get persecuted! It makes no sense to me, its disgusting and embarrassing that people can behave as they did. Life is a gift and no one person or group of people have the right to deny anybody of that gift. It's a real sad sad sad shame. God help us all become better people for eachother.
Rest in peace Nathan.
And to the documentary makers, you are both amazing how you bring this perspective to life.
I remember seeing part of this documentary on PBS back in 1999. What I still find amazing is the fear of the elderly Poles in Bransk who seemed to had the pre-conceived notions that Jews would 1 day return to claim their properties. Also the segment in Chicago with the immigrated Poles still showing their anti-semitic feelings & insulting Spyzik for all of his work. The scene digging up the headstones & having found 175 is the work of a righteous person. Truly informative work. Bravo
I would not want to return to a place where I lost my family. I would close that door and move forward. But that's me. These people have courage to go back.
God bless you all.
So those old village people who seem so sweet and harmless today, they were the vultures picking at Jewish bones back in WWII.
That's the feeling I get.
Fyi--Zbigniew Romaniuk still is promoting his knowledge of Polish Jewish history in Bransk. He never turned away from the pursuit.
Thank You
My Goodness what a beautiful documentary.
Filled with so many emotions and stigmatisms for a time we yet fully to understand. Bravo PBS for this enlightening piece of history to viewers.
Very heart broken story, must be told so not to repeat this again!God bless everyone, bravo who did this story