The commemorative medal “Meritorious for the Treblinka Museum” honours special merits to the Treblinka Museum. Nazi German Extermination Camp and Forced Labour Camp (1941-1944). It is an expression of gratitude for commitment and assistance in the implementation of the statutory aims of the Museum. Ada Krystyna Willenberg is the first person awarded with the medal “Meritorious for the Treblinka Museum”.
“The medal is circle shaped with a diameter of 10 cm. The obverse of the medal commemorates the victims of the Nazi German extermination camp in Treblinka. The obverse clearly refers to the located at the site of the museum monument of the Victims of the Extermination Camp by a sculptor Franciszek Duszeńko and architect Adam Haupt. The obverse was inspired by the Walling Wall (wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem). Over the entire height of the wall stone block are divided by a vertical rift. According to the Judaic symbolism the rift represents mourning. The texture on this side is very deep with intensive patination, almost black. There is an inscription on the obverse: “Teaching about the Holocaust is teaching about men”. The author of this thought is Halina Birenbaum. This sentence was placed in three languages: Hebrew, Polish and English, on the trajectory of three parallel semi-circular lines. The order of languages corresponds to the number of victims of the camp. The lines of the inscription is arranged into the branches of menorah. The sentences form six branches of one of the oldest symbols used in Judaic cult, with the rift as the seventh branch. The shape of the menorah refers to the symbolism of the Paradise Tree of Life, the fruits of which were to ensure immortality. The reverse of the medal was devoted to the victims of the labour camp and refers to the monument to the Victims of the Penal Labour Camp in Treblinka, created by the sculptor Franciszek Strynkiewicz, entitled ” Wall of Death “. The artistic concept of the reverse develops Strynkiewicz’s concept and elevates the “Wall of Death” to the symbol of the foundation of the “Temple of Suffering”. The arches rise above the “Wall of Death” and their basis form the foundations because the ground hides the victims of the camp and are the metaphorical foundations of the “Temple of Suffering”. The form of the medal, as an artistic work, commemorates the place of extermination and is a testimony to our history, the history of man.” – Marek Fiuk, sculptor. Author of the medal.
Source of the quote: https://www.uph.edu.pl/uniwersytet/aktualnosci/marek-fiuk-absolwent-kierunku-edukacja-artystyczna-w-zakresie-sztuk-plastycznych-uph-w-siedlcach-autorem-medalu-zasluzony-dla-muzeum-treblinka