International Students Visit Stutthof Concentration Camp: A Solemn Educational Experience

The Faculty of Law and Administration is honored to report that our international exchange students participated in an educational visit to the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo this semester. The excursion was expertly organized and guided by Dr. Jacek Wałdoch from the Department of Legal History.

Konzentrationslager Stutthof was the first German Nazi concentration and extermination camp established on territories that currently constitute Poland. Located 36 kilometers from Gdańsk in what was then the Free City of Danzig (Freie Stadt Danzig), the camp operated for 2,077 days—from September 2, 1939, until May 9, 1945. Throughout its operation, approximately 110,000 prisoners from 28 countries passed through its gates. Jews constituted the largest ethnic group, while Poles, Soviet citizens, Hungarians, and Germans formed the most numerous national contingents. Historical research estimates that nearly 65,000 individuals perished at Stutthof due to disease, exhausting labor, physical abuse, and malnutrition.

The Stutthof Museum, established by the decision of authorities on March 12, 1962, following the advocacy of former camp prisoners, encompasses approximately 20 hectares of the original camp grounds. The preserved historical structures include portions of the Old Camp, the gas chamber, the commandant's office with garages, and the area once dedicated to vegetable gardens and greenhouses.

While visiting a concentration camp represents a profound and potentially traumatic experience, we believe in the educational importance of such encounters for both - our Polish and international students. These historical sites serve not only as places to honor victims and comprehend the immense violence and evil perpetrated by criminal ideologies but also as powerful reminders of humanity's moral responsibility to oppose any manifestation of similar practices and atrocities in the future.

Understanding the darkest chapters of European history is essential for legal education. Future legal professionals must confront these historical realities to fully appreciate the foundational importance of human rights and the rule of law in contemporary society.

The Faculty extends its appreciation to the Stutthof Museum staff for facilitating this significant educational experience and to our international students for their respectful engagement with this challenging but crucial aspect of historical understanding.