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During excavations in Lodz, Poland, researchers from the Institute of National Remembrance discovered the remains of four children who had been imprisoned in the Kinder-KZ Litzmannstadt concentration camp, also known as "Little Auschwitz." The camp operated alongside the Jewish ghetto in the city and was used to imprison Polish non-Jewish children aged 0 to 16.
Among the identified victims was Teresa Jakubowska, who was 12 years old at the time of her death. She was beaten to death during a roll call by Sydonia Bayer, who was in charge of the girls' division and served as a medical supervisor in the camp. Researchers noted that Bayer was notorious for her cruelty. According to survivor testimonies, she would drag sick children into the snow, pour cold water on them, beat and whip them, and deprive them of food.
In addition to Jakubowska, the children Stanisław Kurek, Janusz Duka and Leon Marszała were also identified, all of whom died as a result of severe abuse.
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The camp was closed in January 1945, as the Nazi staff fled the advancing Red Army. Shortly afterward, Sydonia Bayer (real name Isolde Beyer) was arrested and, in September of that year, sentenced to death for war crimes. Her appeal for clemency was denied, and she was executed in November 1945.
Many of the children were sent to the camp as punishment because their parents were members of the Polish resistance. The camp was also intended, in part, for the "re-education" of children deemed to have "Aryan" characteristics, while other children were subjected to harsh forced labor.
It is estimated that between 2,000 and 3,000 children were held in the camp during its operation, with approximately 200 of them dying from starvation, disease and brutal mistreatment.