US writer Paul Polansky who brought attention to Lety concentration camp has died

The American poet and author Paul Polansky, who brought to Czech and worldwide attention the existence of the World War II Lety concentration camp for Romanies, has died at the age of 79.

Mr. Polansky came across the story of Lety in the early 1990s while doing genealogical research in south Bohemia. He went on to interview over a hundred Roma survivors of the camp, including their testimonies in the book Black Silence.

His effort sparked a debate about the fact that a pig farm was built on the site of the camp and resulted in the unveiling of the first official memorial at Lety in 1995.