National Day of Remembrance of Poles Who Saved Jews Under German Occupation

Redakcja / Editorial staff, 24 March 2026

24th March is the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Who Saved Jews Under German Occupation. This date is linked to the tragic fate of the Ulma family and of the Jews to whom they had offered shelter. On 24th March 1944, as the result of denunciation, they were murdered by the Germans in the village of Markowa in the Rzeszów region. This year, we commemorate the 82nd anniversary of these tragic events.

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“In tribute to Polish Citizens – heroes who, in an act of indescribable courage, unparalleled bravery, compassion and solidarity, faithful to the highest of ethical values, in accordance with Christian mercy and the ethos of the sovereign Republic of Poland, saved their Jewish neighbours from the Holocaust, which had been planned and implemented by the German occupying force”, the introduction to the Act signed by the President of the Republic of Poland.

The public holiday – the purpose of which is to commemorate all those who risked their lives to help Jews during the German occupation – was established by the Polish President Andrzej Duda in 2018.

The 82nd Anniversary of the murder of the Ulma family and the Jews who were in hiding – historical information

The date is connected to the tragic story of Józef and Wiktoria Ulma, their children (8-year old Stanisława, 6-year old Barbara, 5-year old Władysław, 4-year old Franciszek, 3-year old Antoni and 1,5-year old Maria) and the Jews who for almost two years were hiding in the attic of the Ulma family home in Markowa. They were: Saul Goldman, his four sons (they were called Shalls), two daughters, granddaughter of Chaim Goldman, Lea (Layca) Didner with daughter whose remains unknown, and Genia (Golda) Grünfeld.

It was 82 years ago, on 24th March 1944, that the Germans murdered the Polish family and the Jews in hiding. The executions, carried out in front of the Ulma family home following the search of the premises, was the result of a denunciation (in all likelihood by Włodzimierz Leś, a ‘Blue’ policeman).

Read further: The Crime in Markowa – the Story of the Ulma Family [a story of aid]

In September 1995, Józef and Wiktoria Ulma were posthumously awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations. In September 2023, following a nearly 20-year-long process of beatification, by a decree of Pope Francis, the Ulma family was blessed by the Catholic Church. In 2024, the Polish parliament established the Year of the Ulma Family.

The POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews commemorates Poles who rescued Jews during the German occupation (1939–1945) by documenting their stories on the Polish Righteous internet portal.

We commemorate primarily people honoured by the Yad Vashem Institute with the title of Righteous Among the Nations, and the Jews to whom they had offered help. The stories of help are popularised against the socio-political context of the German occupation, taking into account the complexity and diversity of the attitudes of Poles towards the Holocaust. Our collection – which we have been working on since the year 2007—boasts almost 1,000 stories of help.

Every year, on the National Day of Remembrance of Poles Rescuing Jews under German Occupation, we highlight the stories of Polish men and women who faced the harshest of German repressions – the death penalty for aiding Jews. The exact number of those persecuted remains unknown. So far, researchers from the Institute of National Remembrance have identified approximately 500 victims.

Browse: Stories of Poles murdered for helping Jews during the German occupation – [rescue stories catalogue – editor’s selection]

Did the Germans always punish, with death, those who helped Jews? Was the death penalty only enforced in occupied Poland?

We invite you to watch an expert discussion on repressions, featuring researchers Dr. Martyna Grądzka-Rejak and Dr. Aleksandra Namysło, who explore these questions in depth.

The discussion (available on YouTube https://youtu.be/6XksPREdJKY) took place in November 2023 as part of the POLIN Museum’s education material entitled “In Hiding – the Stories of the Rescued and the Righteous”, aimed at teachers and students in secondary schools.