Entitled La bambina che non sapeva odiare (The Girl Who Couldn’t Hate), the book was written in collaboration with journalist Paolo Rodari, with an introduction by Pope Francis and two survivors of Nazi atrocities.
Referring to the title of the book, the 82-year-old Pole explained: “This is my motto. I think that if I had been filled with hatred and desire for revenge I would have suffered more than those who inflicted that suffering on me.”
While in Rome for the book launch, Maksymowicz met with Pope Francis during Wednesday’s general audience.
It was their second encounter in less than a year. In May 2021, the pope kissed the number 70072 tattooed on the woman’s left arm.
Maksymowicz visited Rome at the time for the premiere of a documentary film entitled 70072: The Girl Who Couldn’t Hate. The True Story of Lidia Maksymowicz, which was produced by Italy's La Memoria Viva Association.
Maksymowicz was taken to Auschwitz shortly before her third birthday. She was the subject of pseudo-medical experiments carried out by the infamous camp doctor Josef Mengele during World War II.
A resident of Kraków, southern Poland, Maksymowicz often visits schools to share her story with young people.
(mk/gs)