103 New Polish Righteous in 2018
“We must fight for tolerance every day. It is a long processs. Education which counteracts racism, xenophobia and antisemitism should be our common path. In this way, we model ourselves on the Righteous Among the Nations”
– Anna Azari, the Israeli Ambassador to Poland.
In 2018, fourteen ceremonies took place, in both Poland and Israel, during which the title of Righteous Among the Nations was presented to one hundred and three Poles. This is the highest civil honour awarded by the State of Israel. Amongst those who were honoured posthumously was Franciszek Grabowicz, whose family was located in 2016 thanks to support from the Historical Information Centre of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, as well as Marian Krycia and Wiktor and Józefa Kotowicz, who received their titles back in 1979, but were unable to be located at that time. With the help of the POLIN Museum, their families learned about the honour thirty nine years later.
Of the 54 Polish women and 49 Polish men, 30 of them helped Jews in what is now the Mazowieckie Province, 22 in the Małopolskie Province, 8 in the Lubelskie Province, 6 in the Śląskie Province, 4 in the Wielkopolskie Province, 3 in the Podkarpackie Province, 2 in the Świętokrzyskie Province and 1 in the Łódzkie Province. 21 live in what is now Ukraine (17 Lviv region, 2 in the Wołyński region and 2 in the Tarnopolski region), as well as 4 within the borders of Belarus (3 in the Brest region and 1 in the Grodno region)*. According to available source material, around one hundred Jews were helped, however the exact number is difficult to determine.
In Jerusalem, Mitch Goldhar, the son of a Holocaust survivor, said: “Today, it is very important to acknowledge and honour these highest deeds of goodwill and human decency which constitute an antidote to racism”.
Where are the Righteous?
Read about the honouring of Poles who rescued Jews during the Holocaust »
In addition, seven Righteous – Aleksander, Anna, Ignacy, Maksymilian, Jaroszom and Marianna Krasnodębski, as well as Jadwiga and Leon Bukowiński – were granted Honorary Citizenship of the State of Israel. Receiving this honour in Lublin, Mariannna Krasnodębska said, “The are no winners in any war because, for every death, there is a pain which never goes away”.
Below is a summary of the year just passing.
2018 Righteous Ceremonies
Read the reports of these ceremonies honouring the Polish Righteous:
- 15th January at the Royal Castle in Warsaw
- 22nd January at the Institute of European Culture in Gnieźno
- 29nd January at the Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem
- 28th June at the Farys Cinema in czerwca w Kinie Farys w Biecz
- 29th June at the Galicia Jewish Museum in Kraków
- 2nd August at the Polish Security Printing Works in Warsaw
- 23nd August at the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw
- 29th August at the Municipal Offices in Słupsk
- 30th August at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk
- 11th October at the Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem
- 22nd October at the Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem
- 8th November at the White Stork Synagogue in Wrocław
- 28th November at POLIN Museum of the History of Polsh Jews
- 18th December at the “Brama Grodzka – Teatr NN” Centre in Lublin
The 2018 Polish Righteous
Read the stories of the Polish men and women honoured with the title of Righteous:
- Katarzyna Baran
- Jan Benisz
- Anna Borek
- Tekla Budnowska
- Jan Ciurlik
- Wiktoria Ciurlik
- Karolina Denkiewicz
- Aniela Dembińska
- Petronela Drabik
- Stanisław Drabik
- Aleksander Dziadosz
- Jan Dziadosz
- Jan Gac
- Janina Garbień
- Katarzyna Glińska
- Józef Goławski
- Marcjanna Goławska
- Alicja Gołąb
- Eugenia Gołąb
- Jan Gołąb
- Maria Gołąb
- Stanisław Gołąb
- Janina Gołębiowska
- Katarzyna Góra
- Walerian Góra
- Franciszek Grabowicz
- Józefa Grzegorek
- Kazimiera Jasik
- Marta Kielak
- Józefa Kotowicz
- Wiktor Kotowicz
- Rudolf Kosiba
- Tadeusz Kosiba
- Tekla Kosiba
- Władysław Kosiba
- Janina Kosek
- Julian Kosek
- Helena Krawczuk-Demczuk
- Marian Krycia
- Anna Kucia
- Michał Kucia
- Jan Kuś
- Magdalena Kuś
- Czesław Lech
- Anna Lechki
- Ignacy Lechki
- Katarzyna Lechki
- Ludwika Lechki
- Szczepan Lechki
- Szymon Lipiński
- Zofia Liszka
- Marcjanna Łączniak
- Wiktor Łysik
- Weronika Łysik
- Maria Milasiewicz
- Bolesław Paciorek
- Czesław Pachurka
- Wojciech Pachurka
- Sabina Perzyna
- Antonina Piechota
- Stefan Piechota
- Maria Piotrowska
- Stanisław Podhaniuk
- Marian Połowicz
- Stanisław Pszkit
- Zofia Pszkit
- Jakub Pyzik
- Adam Rysiewicz
- Maria Sagan
- Marian Sagan
- Stanisław Sagan
- Helena Sajowska
- Mikołaj Sajowski
- Aniela Sargowicka
- Adolfina Stasiewicz
- Franciszka Sętkowska
- Jadwiga Stępińska
- Marian Stępiński
- Maria Strusińska
- Antoni Styś
- Aleksandra Styś
- Helena Styś
- Natalia Szczekało
- Aleksander Szczekało
- Iwan Szczekało
- Adam Świąder
- Maria Świąder
- Antoni Telak
- Jan Trzeciak
- Janina Trzeciak
- Emma Vogel
- Jerzy Vogel
- Natalia Vogel
- Ryszard Vogel
- Janina Wereska
- Wawrzyniec Wereski
- Leokadia Wojtkowska
- Stanisław Wolski
- Aleksandra Woroszyłło
- Kazimierz Woroszyłło
- Stefania Zaborowska
- Klara Zroski
- Teofil Zroski
Information about the granting, by the Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem, of the title of Righteous Among the Nations can be found on our website: Yad Vashem Criteria.
The Year of Irena Sendler comes to a close
Read about the most important educational events, exhibitions and internet activities associated with it »
* In the case of the honouring of Szymon Lipiński, the Yad Vashem Institute did not provide the location where the help was provided.
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