Illicit Letters from Auschwitz

Janusz Pogonowski’s Illicit Letters from Auschwitz is a poignant collection of correspondence written during his time in the Auschwitz concentration camp between 1942 and 1943. Born on August 9, 1922, in Cracow, Pogonowski’s letters provide a rare glimpse into the harrowing experiences of camp inmates and their longing for freedom and connection with the outside world. The letters, which were smuggled out of the camp, reveal not only the brutal realities of life in Auschwitz but also the resilience of the human spirit amid unimaginable suffering. Edited by Franciszek Piper, this work serves as both a historical document and a testament to the enduring hope of those who suffered during the Holocaust.