I joined the Polish

underground and
was arrested near
the Hungarian
border. In June 1940
I was sent to
Auschwitz. ~ Jan
Komski

Learn More
Visit

The life of

Jan
Komski

1. Remember.org for more information on

Komski and other holocaust survivors.
2. The United States Holocaust Memorial
Museum for more in-depth information
on Auschwitz and the holocaust.
3. University of Minnesota Center for
Holocaust & Genocide Studies.

Administrative Punishment
A watercolor done in his later years

hand and his paintings and experiences are a

valuable resource to us all.

Experiencing
brutality

U.S. liberated one in which he was being held at

the end of the war.

Life After
Death
After being liberated, Komski emigrated to the
United States and became an illustrator, painting
of his own volition and working for the
Washington Post.
His art was as much about expression and
healing for him as it was for others to process
what happened to them during those torturous
years under Nazi command.

Jan
Komski

about
Jan Komski was a Polish painter
from a small Polish community. As a
child, Komski moved to the
manufacturing town of Brzozow. It
was only after he enrolled in the
Academy of Fine Arts that he
discovered the depths of his artistic
talent.
Though a great artist, the value of his
paintings lies in the fact that he is a
holocaust survivor and was part of
the very first prisoner group to be
taken to Auschwitz. He was able to
experience the Nazi brutality first-

Murder by the SS

Following his move, Komskis work showed the

improvement in his quality of life, proving that
one can recover from even the most traumatizing
setbacks.

Komskis suffering began as he was making his

way through to the Polish Army in France
during the early days of war. He was arrested
on his journey and was later taken to
Auschwitz, becoming part of the very first
group to arrive.
After spending 2.5 years and witnessing many
horrors, Komski and some of his comrades
escaped, only to be arrested once again.
Luckily, he wasnt initially recognized.
Komski continued to evade execution and was
sent back and forth between camps until the

Watercolor