Ks. Franciszek Niemczyk SDB, Wiązanka wspomnień i zdarzeń z czasu jego pobytu w zakładzie oświęcimskim(1894, 1900-1904)
Memories and events from the time of his stay in the Oświęcim centre (1894, 1900-1904)

Summary/Abstract: In August 1898, a young Salesian priest came to Oświęcim from the cradle of the Salesian Congregation in Turin. He was sent to this place as a delegate by the Rector Major of the Salesians – Fr Michał Rua, to take over the historic Jacek Odrowąż Chapel for the Congregation and to reacquire from the Jews the ruins of the monastery and St Cross Church, which previously belonged to the Dominicans. The initiator of this project was the parish priest of Oświęcim, Fr Andrzej (Jędrzej-junior) Knycz (1835-1902), who, being grateful to the founder of the Salesians, John Bosco (1815-1888), contributed to handing over the previously Dominican buildings in Oświęcim to the Salesians. All this was done with the agreement of the ordinary of Krakow, Jan Puzyna. The Salesians in turn promised to build and run an educational youth centre. The memoirs of Franciszek Niemczyk, one of the first three Salesian alumni in the temporary youth centre, later a Salesian priest, cover the period from the arrival of Fr Franciszek Trawiński to Oświęcim in 1898 to the taking over of this religious centre by his successor, Fr Emanuel Manassero at the beginning of December 1900. The memoirs describe the daily life of the temporary Salesian centre in the leased building at Kęcka Street (later Jagiełło Street), and focus on the struggle with Fr Trawiński’s risky lottery, whose aim was to provide finance for building a Salesian youth centre in Oświęcim. Finally, the centre was built, and on 20 October 1901 it was blessed by Cardinal Jan Puzyna from Krakow.

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