Called by Name
Called by Name (Polish: Zawołani po imieniu) is a Polish project started in 2019 to honor Poles who were killed for helping Jews during World War II. It is organized by the Pilecki Institute and was initiated by Magdalena Gawin, the deputy minister of culture and national heritage.
The first monument was unveiled in Sadowne on March 24, 2019, honoring the Lubkiewicz family, who were killed in January 1943 for baking bread for Jewish women hiding near the Treblinka camp. By the early 2020s, at least 24 monuments had been erected, recognizing about 55 people who tried to save more than 100 Jews. A related exhibition took place in Warsaw in October 2020, and educational activities have also been organized.
The project’s name comes from Zbigniew Herbert’s poem Mr. Cogito, emphasizing the importance of accurately counting and honoring victims. Its goal is to commemorate Poles who were murdered for helping Jews by placing public monuments and symbols with inscriptions in Polish and English, sometimes linked with QR codes for more information.
The project collects wartime histories and aims to preserve family memories while educating people about World War II and the Holocaust. It has been described as a critique of Yad Vashem’s Righteous Among the Nations program, since some honored individuals have not received that designation. It is also seen as part of the history policy associated with the ruling Law and Justice party. Some critics say the commemoration is politicized and tied to ethnonationalist ideas.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:28 (CET).