The International Committee of Mauthausen (Comite International de Mauthausen – CIM) was initiated by former prisoners from different European countries. Since the organisation’s beginning, Poland has been a very active member of CIM. At this moment CIM unites 21 European countries and the USA. The organisation’s chairman is Guy Dockendorf from Luxembourg, Andreas Baumgartner from Austria acts as general secretary and Poland is represented by Prof. Stanisław Leszczyński in the role of vice-chairman and Jacek Tarasiewicz as an ordinary member.
The Committee meets twice a year. The first meeting is always in May, the month of the anniversary of the camp’s liberation. On these occasions we meet in Mauthausen town, traditionally at the city mayor’s invitation. The venue for the second CIM session changes every year. This year 2016 it was in Poland at the very hospitable Centre for Dialogue and Prayer in Oświęcim. It is noteworthy that it was the third CIM’s meeting in Poland. The next session will take place in Belgrade, Serbia.
In Poland there is also the Club of Former Political Prisoners of KL Mauthausen – Gusen that was established in 1949. As well as CIM, the Club of Former Political Prisoners of KL Mauthausen – Gusen in Poland, unites former prisoners, their families and people involved in our work based on the matter of concentration camps in Austria.
We recommend these sites for all who are interested: