Social Affairs

Holocaust survivor Jan Kaminski dies in Dublin aged 87

Polish national escaped a round-up of Jews by the Nazis when he was 10-years-old

Holocaust survivor, Jan Kaminski photographed at a National Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration in the Round Room, Mansion House, Dublin in 2013. File photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

Aine McMahon
Wed May 22 2019 - 19:11

Holocaust survivor Jan Kaminski has died in Dublin. He was aged 87.

Mr Kaminski died on Tuesday surrounded by family and is survived by his three children- Orla, Jadzia and Jas.

Mr Kaminski, who was born in Poland in 1932, escaped a round-up of Jewish people by the Nazis when he was 10-years old.

After spending the second World War on the run, he arrived in Ireland in 1954 with a scholarship to study economics and politics at Trinity College Dublin, and later received Irish citizenship.

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He was one of four survivors of the concentration camps who moved to Ireland along with Suzi Diamond, Tomi Reichental and Walter Sekules.

Mr Kaminski had a long and diverse career including owning a restaurant and a night club and travel company Concorde Travel.

He retired in 2006 and remained an active presence among the Polish community in Ireland and was the first president of the Irish-Polish society.

A ceremony to celebrate his life will take place on Monday in the Victorian Chapel in Mount Jerome in Dublin. The family has requested that donations be made to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland in lieu of flowers if desired.

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