Marian Turski 1926 – 2025

Biography

A towering voice in Holocaust memory and Polish Jewish history, Marian Turski spent nearly eight decades bearing witness to one of humanity’s darkest chapters. Born in Druskininkai in 1926, Turski survived the Nazi occupation and dedicated his life to ensuring the world never forgot. As a historian and educator, he became one of Poland’s most respected authorities on the Holocaust, refusing to let historical amnesia take root.

Turski’s profound scholarly work and unflinching moral clarity made him far more than an academic—he was a keeper of conscience for an entire generation. His relentless documentation and public advocacy transformed how Poland reckoned with its past. Until his death in Warsaw at 98, he remained a living connection to history itself, a man who transformed personal survival into a lifelong mission to educate and commemorate.