Marian turski holocaust survivor and historian dies aged 98

Marian Turski, a distinguished Holocaust survivor and historian, passed away on February 18, 2025, at the age of 98. Born Moshe Turbowicz on June 26, 1926, in Druskieniki, Poland (now Lithuania), Turski endured the horrors of the Lodz ghetto and the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps during World War 11

After the war, Turski became a prominent journalist and historian in Poland. He served as the editor-in-chief of *Sztandar Młodych*, a daily newspaper for the Union of Polish Youth, from 1956 to 1957. From 1958 onwards, he was a columnist for the weekly *Polityka*, leading its historical department.

 

Turski was instrumental in establishing the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, serving as its chairman since 2009. In 2021, he was elected president of the International Auschwitz Committee, succeeding the late Roman Kent.

 

T tell me a jokehroughout his life, Turski was a vocal advocate against rising antisemitism and the distortion of history. He emphasized the dangers of indifference and the importance of remembering the atrocities of the Holocaust. In his speeches, he often warned that such attitudes could lead to atrocities similar to the Holocaust.

 

Turski’s legacy is honored by various figures, including Poland’s chief rabbi and its political leaders, who recognized his significant moral contributions and the impact of his life’s work.

Marian Turski, Holocaust Survivor and Historian, Dies at 98