The exchange begins in the town of Kostrzyn nad Odrą, a key location during the final months of the Second World War. All sites included in the program are linked to significant events from the winter and spring of 1945, particularly the advance of the Red Army and its allies from the east toward Berlin. The Warta-Oder region, shaped by war and displacement, became part of the Soviet occupation zone after 1945, when the German population was replaced by Polish settlers from the former eastern regions of Poland. Today, the region serves as a space of remembrance and dialogue, reflecting on its complex 20th-century history.
The first day will be dedicated to introducing this historical and cultural context, followed by a session in which participants explore the goals of the exchange and take part in content-creation workshops.
The day begins with a visit to the Küstrin Fortress Museum in Kostrzyn nad Odrą, known as the “Pompeii on the Oder”. In early 1945, the fortress was a key strategic point during the Red Army’s advance toward Berlin. After fierce fighting and heavy bombing, the fortress was captured by Soviet forces in March. Following the war, the old town was abandoned for decades until rediscovered after 1989. The museum now tells the story of the fortress and its wartime destruction.
In the afternoon, the group will visit Stalag III C – a former German prisoner-of-war camp for privates and non-commissioned officers. The camp held thousands of prisoners of various nationalities both before and during the war, and was liberated by Soviet troops on 31 January 1945.
On this day, participants will visit Słońsk (formerly Sonnenburg), a town with a long history marked by a painful chapter: Nazi prison and concentration camp. Initially a penitentiary for political activists during the Weimar Republic, it became the first German concentration camp after Hitler’s rise to power. Later, it returned to being a prison and site of executions. The most tragic event occurred on the night of 30–31 January 1945, when SS men executed 819 prisoners of various nationalities.
The group will visit the Martyrdom Museum, dedicated to remembering the victims of this Nazi prison and camp. With the guidance of a local educator and museum staff, participants will engage in workshops to create audio and visual content, deepening their understanding of the site’s history.
Later, a visit is planned to the nearby lapidarium located on the grounds of the former German cemetery in Słońsk.
