Jastrzębie-Zdrój: a tribute to Henryk Sławik

Maria Zawadzka, 16 November 2016
On October 22nd, 2010 in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, at the „Centrum” cinema took place a public lecture for the local young people devoted to the memory of Henryk Sławik, honored with the title “Righteous Among the Nations” in 1977. The event was moderated by Andrzej Kinasiewicz.

In the ceremony participated the former Ambassador of Poland to Hungary, Grzegorz Łubczyk, who turned to the audience with the following words: “One should only talk about Henryk Sławik in great words. It is an important figure not only to Jastrzębie-Zdrój or Poland. It is a great hero for Europe and for the whole world”.

Łubczyk thanked the mayor of the town, Marian Janecki, for the fact that the authorities of Jastrzębie-Zdrój – at present within the town borders lies the village of Szeroka, where Sławik was born – participate in the promotion of Sławik’s history.

During the lecture in the “Centrum” cinema, Polish youth had the opportunity to learn about Henryk Sławik and to watch a film by Grzegorz Łubczyk, devoted to the Righteous.

Moreover, at the Town Public Library took place the promotion of the book by Grzegorz and Krystyna Łubczyk „Pamięć. Polscy uchodźcy na Węgrzech 1939-1946" („Memory. Polish refugees in Hungary 1939-1946”). It is another publication in which Grzegorz Łubczyk presents the Righteous.

Henryk Sławik is called “the Polish Wallenberg”. It is estimated that Sławik rescued about 5,000 Jews.

After Poland’s defeat in 1939 as chairman of the Citizen Committee for Polish Refugees in Hungary he organized help for military internees and civilian refugees.

In cooperation with József Antall, representative of the Hungarian government, Sławik provided them with false papers that saved their lives in numerous cases, he also organized documents for Jews, testifying their so-called “Aryan” origin.

Together with József Antall and Church dignitaries, he founded an orphanage in the town of Vac near Budapest – Jewish children had been hiding there.

Henryk Sławik was arrested in 1944, after the Nazis entered Hungary. During the investigation he acted in a heroic way, taking all the responsibility for saving Jews upon himself and did not admit he knew Antall.

He was probably executed in August 1944 in the Nazi camp Mauthausen. Henryk Sławikwas posthumously awarded with the title of the Righteous Among the Nations in 1977. More about Henryk Sławik.