Bereza Kartuzka

Bereza Kartuzka (now Biaroza). See Google Map. City (2025 pop 28,192) on the Yasolda River in northwest Polisia, a raion center in Brest oblast in Belarus located on the border between Ukrainian and Belarusian ethnic territory. In 1920–39 Bereza belonged to Poland, and between 1934 and 1939 it was the site of an infamous Polish concentration camp, in which hundreds of Ukrainian patriots were inmates, including political activists, civic leaders, and members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. The camp commander was Col W. Biernacki-Kostek; his subordinates were B. Grefner and J. Kamalia. Personal accounts about the camp have been written by F. Malyk (1935), S. Haiuk (1955), Volodymyr Makar (1956), and Isydor Nahaievsky (1957). A documentary film about the camp, by Canadian director Yurij Luhovy was released in 2007.

[This article updated in 2025.]