On the anniversary of the death of Józef and Wiktoria Ulma and their six children, murdered by the Germans along with eight Jews from the Goldman, Gruenfeld and Didner families whom they had given shelter to in the village of Markowa in the Podkarpacie region, we remember all Poles who – despite the threat of severe repression – tried to save Jews from the Holocaust.
German occupation policy in Poland during World War II aimed to destroy all bonds of solidarity between Poles and Jews – citizens of the destroyed Second Polish Republic. German law introduced the death penalty for helping persecuted Jews. Death threatened not only those who hid Jews or provided long-term assistance. Sometimes, along with those who rescued them, the Germans also murdered their families, household members, and neighbors. Harsh legislation, the obligation to denounce, and brutal repression fostered an atmosphere of terror and made Poles hostages to the criminal policies of the Third Reich.
In this situation, solidarity with Jews was a heroic stance, especially in the face of collaborators, blackmailers, informers, and other citizens choosing to collaborate with the enemy. We pay tribute with great respect to the decisions of those who risked their own lives and the lives of their loved ones to show support for their Jewish neighbors. It was an act of profound humanity and recognition of Jews as fellow citizens, as "our own," despite the German intention to exclude them from society, strip them of their dignity, and ultimately exterminate them. We especially remember those Poles who paid the ultimate price for helping Jews—those whom the Germans murdered for their efforts. Their fates were poignantly intertwined with those of the victims of the Holocaust. Indeed, it often happened that rescuers and rescued perished simultaneously.
All these stories deserve to become a lasting part of our shared memory. Some have already entered the collective consciousness, and their heroes have been awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations. Many others still await discovery, research, and documentation. Wise remembrance practices and thoughtful education are needed. Many institutions conduct activities that preserve and popularize knowledge about Poles murdered by the Germans for helping Jewish fellow citizens. Commemorative plaques are unveiled at the sites of the crimes – in villages and small towns – with the participation of the victims' families and local communities. The ceremonies in which we participate provide an opportunity to honestly tell the story of the Holocaust of the Jewish people and the fate of the Poles who rescued them, the ruthless realities of the German occupation and its victims, as well as the stories of heroism and informing.
The suffering of Jews and Poles during World War II, though different in scale, should not compete. The victims' stories do not compete with each other; rather, they complement each other, creating a complete and truthful picture of Nazi German terror in occupied Poland.
Warsaw Ghetto Museum
Photo: "Called by Name" project ( https://instytutpileckiego.pl/pl/wydarzenia/zawolani-po-imieniu?setlang=true )
| Commemoration of Józef Pruchniewicz, murdered by the Germans for helping Jews, Biecz, March 23, 2021
