Righteous Antonina Wyrzykowska passed away

, 16 November 2016

Righteous Among the Nations Mrs. Antonina Wyrzykowska passed away at the age of 95 in the city of Milanówek. Antonina and her husband Aleksander for two years and a half had been hiding in their cellar seven Jews rescued form the 1941 pogrom in Jedwabne.

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The Wyrzykowski family lived in Janczewko, four kilometers from Jedwabne. The first to benefit from their help was Szmuel Wasersztajn. On July 10^th, 1941 Shmuel went to visit his hometown of Jedwabne on the day of the pogrom carried out by Poles against their Jewish neighbours. Miraculously, Szmuel managed to get out alive.

Aftwerwards the family of Olszewicz, Grodowski and Kubrzański foud a shelter at Wyrzykowskis’ home.

After the War the Wykorzykwoski family coul not stay in Janczewko.. The inhabitants of the region did not like the fact that Wyrzykowskis rescued Jews who were eye-witnesses of the progrom in Jedwabne. Every single terrace of the murde was supposed to disappear.

In 60’s Anotnina settled down along with the son in the city of Milanówek (Mazowsze Province). She worked as cleaning lady and care-taker.

She had never told her story to anyone since he was afraid of the reaction of the inhabitants of those inhabitants of Jedwabne who were prosecutors at the War time. Several times she was visiting the Kubrzański family in the USA. Thanks to the testimonies of the rescued families, in 1976 she was honored with the title “Righteous Among the Nations”.

Anotnia Wyrzykowska returned to her home region only for the official ceremony commemorating the victims of the Jedwabne pogrom in 2001.