Polish President Honours Poles Who Saved Jews

Redakcja / Editorial staff / English translation: Andrew Rajcher, 30 March 2019

On Monday 25th March 2019, the day following the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews Under German Occupation, Polish President Andrzej Duda presented numerous rescuers with high state awards.

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These are extraordinary heroes - with no weapons in their hands, with no rifles. The simply displayed to the world that they could be different. They did not accept the reality that surrounded them and demonstrated that with the stance that they took in risking their own lives and the lives of their families.

– President Andrzej Duda during the ceremony atthe Presidential Palace.

In accordance with Article 138 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland and in accordance with the provisions for the presentation of Orders and Decorations, the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, in recognition of their heroic stance and for their extraordinary courage shown in saving the lives of Jews during World War II, for their outstanding service in defence of dignity, humanity and human rights, has decided to present the following people with

THE COMMANDER'S CROSS OF THE

ORDER OF POLONIA RESTITUTA

1. Magdalena CEGŁOWSKA

2. Anna GAWŁOWSKA

3. Wanda HADRYSIAK

4. Zofia HOŁUB

5. Danuta KUROWSKA

6. Jan KUŚ

7. Leontyna LEŚNIEWICZ

8. Pelagia MALECKA

9. Janina ORCZYK

10. Teresa PARCZEWSKA-SKULIMOWSKA

11. Romuald PARCZEWSKI

12. Wanda PIASECKA

13. Bazylina RUTKOWSKA

14. Teresa SIEMBORSKA

Posthumously

15. Rev, Antoni CZARNECKI

16. Anna DAJTROWSKA

17. Andrzej DAJTROWSKI

18. Jadwiga DUDZIEC

19. Piotr GOŃ

20. Franciszek JAROSZ

21. Jan JAROSZ

22. Maria JAROSZ

23. Leokadia KAWALEC

24. Anatoliusz KWARCIAK

25. Feliks KWARCIAK

26. Stanisława LIPTAK

27. Bronisława PLIŚ

28. Stanisław POKORSKI

29. Lucyna ROGOWSKA

30. Leopold SOCHA

31. Jadwiga SOLECKA

32. Stanisław SOLECKI

33. Maria TOMASZCZYK

34. Jan ULIASZ

35. Józefa ULIASZ

36. Maria WĘGIERSKA

37. Father Ludwik WRODARCZYK

The honouring, with high state decorations, of Poles who rescued Jews, began in 2007. Presidents Lech Kaczyński, Bronisław Komorowski and Andrzej Duda have thus far honoured several hundred people.

The National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews Under German Occupation has been observed on the 24th March since 2018. The day is linked with the tragic fate of the Ulma family, and the Jews hidden by them, in the village of Markowa in the Rzeszów region. On 24th March 1944, as the result of being denounced, they were all murdered by the Germans.