The Żabińskis Story

Maria Zawadzka, 16 November 2016
In 2009 the book „The Zookeeper’s Wife. A War Story” by Diane Ackerman was published by „Świat Książki”. The heroic Poles who saved Jews – Jan Żabiński and his wife Antonina – became central figures of a story that became a “New York Times” bestseller.

Before the Second World War, Jan Żabiński was the director of the Warsaw Zoo, where refugees from the Warsaw Ghetto found shelter during the Nazi occupation. The zoo was located in a place exposed to controls, but this turned out to be its chief asset, as no one suspected that in this situation any Pole would risk his life and break the rules imposed by the invader. Jews were also hidden in the Żabińskis house on Ratuszowa Street. Jan Żabiński managed to get out of the ghetto the wife and daughter of his friend Szymon Tenenbaum and the sister of Kazimierz Kramsztyk.

Afterwards, other people began to ask the Żabińskis for help and shelter – among them were those who managed to escape from the ghetto and those who needed to change their hiding place on the so-called Aryan side. Jews were also sent to Jan and Antonina Żabiński by the Council to Aid Jews “Żegota”. Among them were the prewar journalist Rachela Auerbach and the famous sculptress Magdalena Gross. The heroes of the Second World War also helped other people, such as Maurycy Paweł Fraenkel, Regina Kenigswein nee Sobol, Samuel Kenigswein, Eugenia Sylkes, Marceli Lewi-Łebkowski, Marysia Aszerówna, Leonia Tenenbaum and Irena Tenenbaum. Apart from Jews, the Żabińskis also gave shelter to soldiers of the Home Army and scouts involved in underground activity. “I am a Pole and democrat. My deeds were and are a consequence of a certain mental mood being the effect of a progressive and humane upbringing” – Jan Żabiński wrote about himself. Jan and Antonina Żabiński were honored with the title of the Righteous Among the Nations on September 7th, 1965.

Visit the virtual exhibition "The House Under a Wacky Star" about Jews in hiding at the Warsaw ZOO.