Handy Diary 1939-1945

The series of Reports and Recollections contains publications of previously unpublished accounts pertaining to the most recent history of Poland. Witnesses' accounts illustrate the life and attitudes of Polish citizens who were subject to repressions inflicted by Nazi and Communist authorities during the period of 1939-1989. They both show the signs of social resistance and describe the everyday life during the Second World War and the Polish People's Republic. Handy Diary written by an archivist Adam Kamiński constitutes an interesting account of the everyday fight for survival in Cracow: struggle for food, shelter and work. At the same time, it is an excellent source of information on contemporary customs: family life, leisure time, and celebrations. Kamiński has devoted a considerable part of the book to his work at the archives and his efforts to save the documents that could otherwise be damaged during and after the war. His diary also tells about the occupation terror, war extermination, Cracow inhabitants' deportations to Auschwitz, ghetto liquidation, and last but not least, the author's stay in the Płaszów camp. Kamiński complements his notes with the daily press news about the current war events.