This is a poster for the 1974 movie about the life and death of Janusz Korczak titled Korczak and the Children in Hebrew and translated into English as Martyr.
The poster shows the actor playing Janusz Korczak with a young girl in his arms. More young children are pictured at the bottom of the poster; one is holding a teddy bear. The predominant colours of the poster are black and red, and barbed wire fences are visible in the background. The film, produced in cooperation between Israel and Germany, is based on the heroic story of Janusz Korczak, a Jewish doctor, educator, and writer who chose to stay and look after the orphans of the Warsaw ghetto instead of fleeing from the Nazis and saving his own life. The film was filmed and directed by the Polish Jewish director Alexander Ford. In this feature film, Korczak’s activities are dramatically depicted and combined with pictures from the Warsaw ghetto.
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Janusz Korczak - Janusz Korczak was the pen name of the doctor, educator, and writer Henryk Goldszmit. He was born in 1878 in Warsaw, where he worked with children and developed a philosophy of education and child-raising that believed in treating children with respect and giving them rights and responsibility, at a time when prevailing ideas about children could be summarized by the sayings such as, “children should be seen and not heard” and “spare the rod, spoil the child.” Korczak published a newspaper written by children and established a children’s court where children heard cases for their community. He was also a strong proponent of the theory of learning through play. In 1912 Korczak established a Jewish orphanage based on his philosophy in Warsaw. In 1934 and 1936, Korczak visited pre-state Israel and was inspired by the kibbutz movement. He visited Kibbutz Ein Harod where he expressed his appreciation for the beauty of the landscape and the character of the people. He spoke to children and teachers and learned about kibbutz education. In 1939, the Germans occupied Poland, and in 1940 they established the Warsaw ghetto and required the orphanage to move into the ghetto. Due to Korczak’s fame and popularity, he was offered the opportunity to be smuggled out of the ghetto to freedom. Korczak refused to be separated from his children, and on August 5, 1942, Janusz Korczak and around 200 children and staff were rounded up and taken to Treblinka where they were murdered. An eyewitness said,
Korczak left a legacy of education and heroism. He is also remembered by his books that were translated into many languages, including King Matt the First and Kaytek the Wizard and many pedagogical books. Various plays, books, television programmes, and films have been based on Korczak’s life and books, including this film from 1974.
