The comic primarily serves educational goals, showing Karski’s life from his birth to death, and even further, showing him being granted a posthumous Medal of Freedom by the current U.S. president, Barack Obama.
Of course, the events associated with Karski’s entrance into the Warsaw ghetto, and later, his transition to the camp in Izbica, Lublin are also highlighted. Karski’s knowledge of the scale and reality of the Holocaust is fundamental to the overall storyline. His meeting with some of the most important U.S. and U.K. officials of the time is also mentioned. Karski’s efforts to warn Western leaders proved fruitless at the time, even though he was able to meet with Roosevelt and published his 1944 book, Story of a Secret State.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jan Karski. For this occasion, the Polish Parliament has marked 2014 as the Year of Karski.
The Mission of the Jan Karski Institute for Tolerance and Dialogue is to keep the legacy of Jan Karski alive by advancing tolerance, dialogue and understanding through a variety of programs, activities and awards leading to reconciliation and peace by means of diplomacy.
Jan Karski graphic novel available here >>>
