Holocaust Victim Has 1,700 Friends on Facebook

A Polish historian named Piotr Buzek is using Facebook to increase Holocaust awareness. Buzek works for the Brama Grodzka Cultural Center in Lublin and created a profile for Henio Zytomirski, a young boy who died in a concentration camp. "Here at the center we have collected a lot of information about Henio's life, said Buzek, "and then I tried to imagine how this young boy experienced the world around him."

The resulting Facebook profile, which Buzek updates as if he were Henio, has touched the hearts of many and Henio's virtual self already has over 1,700 friends. "My name is Henio Zytomirski. I am seven-years-old. I live on 3 Szewska Street in Lublin," reads his profile information. A September 29, 2009 wall post reads:

"Winter has arrived. Every Jew must wear the Star of David with his last name. A lot has changed. German troops walk the streets. Mama says that I shouldn't be frightened, and always that everything is just fine. Always?"

An October 5, 2009 post later reads: "Grandpa says that the war will soon be over. He says that soldiers also have families. How is that possible? They have a family, but they kill families."

The Facebook page is a new way for people to learn about the Holocaust, making Henio more than just a name or a photograph. Commenters responding to his posts are simultaneously responding to Henio's experiences and coming to terms with the reality of the Holocaust.

"We wanted to use this new technology to help meet the goal of our center: to keep the memory of Jews in Lublin alive. We wanted an innovative way to share history. And with Henio's story, we wanted to reach out to a new audience," said Buzek.

[via Tablet]

Letters to a Dead Jewish Child [Ha'aretz]
Young Holocaust victim has over 1,700 friends on Facebook [Deutsche-Welle]