Jan Kamienski Papers

Biographical / Historical Note

Jan Kamienski (1922-1976), a Polish citizen, was arrested by the Germans in April 1940 in Poznan, Poland, and sent to the concentration camps at Dachau, Mauthausen, and Augsburg. He spent around five years in concentration camps, apparently serving...

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Jan Kamienski (1922-1976), a Polish citizen, was arrested by the Germans in April 1940 in Poznan, Poland, and sent to the concentration camps at Dachau, Mauthausen, and Augsburg. He spent around five years in concentration camps, apparently serving as a translator in the camps as he spoke and read German and Polish. He was very ill during his internment, but managed to survive until he was liberated by the Allied Forces. Jan Kamienski immigrated to the United States in 1951, and settled in Detroit, Michigan. He died in Detroit on August 16, 1976.

Note content adapted from the following source:
- World War II Concentration Camp Uniform, 1940-1945. Digital Collections. The Henry Ford website. Accessed on 22 August 2017 at https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/296533/

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Scope and Content Note

This archival collection accompanies the concentration camp uniform worn by Jan Kamienski (Object ID 99.218.1). It consists of photographic prints, infirmary records, identity cards, a certificate verifying his imprisonment, ration cards, and paperwork...

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This archival collection accompanies the concentration camp uniform worn by Jan Kamienski (Object ID 99.218.1). It consists of photographic prints, infirmary records, identity cards, a certificate verifying his imprisonment, ration cards, and paperwork relating to his immigration to the United States and naturalization process. Of note is a photographic print of Kamienski wearing the concentration camp uniform, along with two other prisoners and a soldier, taken at Augsburg a few days after the camp's liberation in May 1945.

Items in this collection come from two separate donations, and each item has been assigned an individual Object ID number as noted in the Container List. Items are housed individually and are arranged in chronological order, with undated items at the end of the arrangement. For items not written in English, a brief description in English has been provided.

There is one restricted folder in the collection, which contains a portion of Kamienski's social security card. Researchers interested in materials marked as Restricted should contact Benson Ford Research Center staff (research.center@thehenryford.org).

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Collection Details

Object ID: 99.218.2.0
Creator: Kamienski, Jan, 1922-1976 
Inclusive Dates: 1922-1966
Size: 1.25 cubic ft. (3 boxes)
Language: English

Collection Access & Use

Item Location: Not Currently On Exhibit

Access Restrictions: <p>The papers are open for research, with the exception of a social security card and attached pamphlet as indicated in the Container List. Researchers interested in materials marked as Restricted should contact Benson Ford Research Center staff (research.center@thehenryford.org).</p>

Credit: From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Maria Kamienski

Related Objects

World War II Concentration Camp Uniform, 1940-1945

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Digitized Artifacts From This Collection

In many cases, not all artifacts have been digitized.
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Jan Kamienski Photograph Produced by His Family during His Internment in Concentration Camps, 1940-1945

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Jan Kamienski Photograph Produced by His Family during His Internment in Concentration Camps, 1940-1945

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

Artifact

Photographic print

Creators

Unknown 

Object ID

99.218.2.5

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Maria Kamienski

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Get more details in Digital Collections at:

thehenryford.org

Jan Kamienski Photograph Produced by His Family during His Internment in Concentration Camps, 1940-1945

View in our Collectionson thehenryford.org 

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