Item - June, 1963

• Ukrainian

• Cyrillic

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[stamp]
REC[EIVE]D SEP[TEMBER] 19 1963

COMMITTEE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MONUMENT IN MEMORY OF UKRAINIAN REFUGEES, WHO DIED IN THE GMÜND CAMP (LOWER AUSTRIA)

Vienna, June 1963

TO ALL UKRAINIANS IN THE FREE WORLD!

The First World War, in 1914-1915 threw tens of thousands of our compatriots from their homes in Galicia and Bukovyna into camps throughout Austria. One of the largest such camps for Ukrainian displaced persons was a camp in the town Gmünd, in Lower Austria, on the border with Czechoslovakia. The first evacuation of our compatriots as a result of military operations took place in the second half of 1914, therefore, in November of the same year a large number of Ukrainians had already found themselves in the barracks of the camp. Their numbers had already reached 28,700 souls on May 28th of 1915, approximately 53,000 souls on September 15th of the same year, and later they grew to almost 70,000 souls.

The size of the former camp of Ukrainian displaced persons in Gmünd can be imagined when we learn that there once stood two large churches – Greek Catholic and Orthodox, a large school with 21 class groups with 1,628 children, 10 hospitals, etc., built by our compatriots with the help of the Austrian authorities. In terms of living conditions, the barracks of the camp were not badly organized, but the provision of food to people, especially children, was downright catastrophic, a fact which led to starvation and various diseases and epidemics, and consequently, to the premature deaths of the vast majority of the camp’s inhabitants. They were buried in a separate cemetery, which to this day is a reminder of the tens of thousands of our unfortunate compatriots, who died in terrible poverty, far from their mother land! – The patience and ultimate fate of these first refugee-migrants, is a part of our modern history!

Therefore, a year ago, among a small circle of Ukrainians in Vienna, appeared an idea to honour the memory of those ordinary Ukrainians who, with their lives, paid the price of the unenviable position of our people, and laid their bones in a foreign land, with a PLACEMENT OF A LASTING MONUMENT at their cemetery in Gmünd!

The authorities of the city of Gmünd, who are responsible for the Ukrainian cemetery, enthusiastically welcomed the initiative from the Ukrainian side and pledged to support this proposal both morally and materially.

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For this purpose, the joint Ukrainian-Austrian Committee was created, which, from the Austrian side, includes the mayor and the cultural representative of the city of Gmünd!

We would like to inform You that the work on the monument is progressing successfully. Our well-known artist-sculptor, Mr. Hryhorii Kruk – who is also a refugee from Galicia – agreed to carve his composition “Refugees” free of charge for placement in that cemetery. This winter, Mr. Kruk has already crafted a plaster model of the monument in the accurate size, which was recently exhibited at the All-German exhibition of fine arts in Munich, bringing the artist his well-deserved award, as he had received a high mark from the German professional critics! The aforementioned plaster model has the following dimensions: height 3.5 metres, width 1.78 m. and depth 1.12 m.

Not only the council of the city of Gmünd, but also the Austrian and German authorities were extraordinarily supportive of our initiative. The Austrian, as well as German, railway administrations allowed our Committee to transport the model from Munich to Gmünd (579 kilometres!) free of charge. Even the Ministry of Internal Affairs (monument preservation Section), not to mention the Government of Lower Austria, are helping us and are completely supportive of our initiative.

The following goals still lay ahead of us:
1) The purchase of granite for the carving of the monument. 2) Delivery of it to Gmünd. 3) Everyday matters of our sculptor and his assistants (whose work must be paid!) for the months that they will remain in Gmünd while carving the monument. 4) Various technical jobs connected to the erection of the monument.

The Committee is comprised of: Chairman: Certified Engineer Luka Havrysh, Vienna XX, Universumstraße 52/33; Vice-Chair and Secretary: Certified Engineer Evhen Myhaichuk, Vienna X/75, Ahornhof 7/1; Members: Mayor of the city of Gmünd Mr. Franz Chaloupek, Stadtgemeinde Gmünd, Lower Austria; City Councillor of Gmünd and Cultural Affairs Officer, Mr. Hermann Koll; Mrs. Stefania Teil-Liuta; Senior Advisor, Сertified Engineer Volodymyr Potakovskyi; Mr. Mykhailo Melnychuk.

As our community in Austria is small and does not have the ability to cover the costs of the monument on its own, the Committee would like to appeal to All Ukrainians of the free world, as

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well as to You, with a sincere request to help it with Your generous donations to complete this noble work, worthy of God’s Name!

• After completing its task, the Committee will submit, in the press, a detailed report of its activities for all the donors! –

Please send all donations to the address:
Österreichisches Postsparkassenamt Wien, Konto Nr. 47.400
“Stadtgemeinde GMÜND – Nied.Österr. – Denkmalkonto. Austria

With heartfelt thanks for even the smallest donation and with sincere respect,

for the Committee Board:
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Committee for the construction of the monument in memory of Ukrainian refugees, who died in the Gmünd camp (Lower Austria)

Secretary and Vice-Chair:
Certified Engineer Evhen Myhaichuk (signed in own hand)

Chair:
Certified Engineer Luka Havrysh (signed in own hand)