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Our today's interviewee:
Józef Walaszczyk (born 1919) saved more than 50 Jews. During the war he met a girl by the name of Irena Front, who turned out to be Jewish. She told him the truth when the Gestapo organized a manhunt at the guesthouse, where the couple was staying. Józef helped her hide and feigned an illness to save her life.
He saved Irena on more than one occasion. He got her new documents, agreeing to a fictional marriage. He was hiding Irena throughout the war. When the Germans arrested her at one point, along with 20 other Jews, Józef was given an ultimatum: he had to gather a kilogram of gold in jewelry within 5 hours to free her. He managed to do that.
He later hid her at his flat at Emilii Plater Street. The neighbors on the ground floor were German, but Józef saw it as a good cover up. Two of Irena's friends moved in with her. A criminal police officer fell in love with one of the girls, but luckily his feelings proved to be true.
When Józef visited his mother with Irena, the house was surrounded by the Germans. Irena couldn't speak German and the Germans were skilled at spotting Jews, so Józef came up with a plan: yelling in German that Irena had caused them to miss their train, he got her out of the building safely.
During the war, Józef's acquaintance asked him to hire 40 Jews at his factory. He managed to hire 30. Every two weeks he made a trip to receive a stamp and extend their employment. The Jews worked at the factory for about one and a half years. Every time when Józef went away to extend their employment, he warned them to hide, in case they were found out. When such incident happened, most of them were able survive.
After the war, Józef Walaszczyk was awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations.
4 окт 2024
