Kalendarium pracy społecznej białostockiej placówki Towarzystwa Opieki nad Majdankiem (1980-2006)

The Society for the Preservation of Majdanek was founded on 12 November 1945 from an idea of social activists from Lublin and Lublin region as an all-Poland open non-profit organ-ization for people who care about the idea of commemorating Majdanek, and desire to study its history. Today, the Society along with the State Museum at Majdanek in Lublin tend the former Nazi concentration camp in Majdanek and aim to retain the remembrance of martyrdom of the Polish people that suffered the 20th century European totalitarianisms. The Białystok Interest Group of the Society was organized on 20 February 1980 as an independent Association which in 1989 was promoted to the rank of voivodship department. Thanks to members of the Society (over 80 people) and co-workers' work, and sponsors and public authorities' help, for over 25 years the Society has been conducting scientific, artistic, and didactic activities in order to commemorate victims of repression. The structure and activities of the Society in Białystok are strongly connected with Stanisław Zybała (1924-2002), a former Majdanek concentration camp prisoner and Peasants' Battalions soldier (“Kurka,” “Pilot”) who was an initiator of founding the Society in Podlasie region and later became its chairman. His motto was: A nation which loses its memory, loses its life. Stanisław Zybała's biography was published in “Białystok-Łomża Biographical Dictionary” Vol. 1, and in his memoirs “Piekło na Ziemi” (The Hell on Earth). The Schedule below, based on annual reports, participants' accounts, and local press articles, discusses activities of the Białystok Society from its foundation until 2006. The history of 50 years of activities (1945-1990) of the whole Society was published by Józef Marszałek in Zeszyty Majdanka (Majdanek Booklets) Vol. 16 (1995), and the last decade of its work was described by Anna Wójcik in Zeszyty Majdanka Vol. 23 (2005). The present paper is highly important in a discussion on the need of further existence of the Society and other organizations of that type