Before the war, the Alsztok family lived in Złoczów. In August 1942, the father of the 22-year-old Lusia Alsztok, observing the situation of Jews under the German occupation, started to look for a proper shelter for his daughter.For that purpose, he asked his acquaintance from Cracow for help. Wiktoria Głowacz declared that she would take the girl to her place.
She took Lusia from Złoczów to Cracow and introduced her as her cousin. Lusia had false documents confirming her Polish origin. “When I stayed with her, she risked her life and the life of her son Zbyszek for me many times. People were warned that hiding Jews was subject to the death penalty, but Wiktoria Głowacz kept sheltering me and introduced me everywhere as her cousin, she even told his son Zbyszek to call me “aunt”. She arranged a false identity card and employment for me. I only worked for three months at purchasing old records. Later, in consideration of my safety and the situation at work, I had to leave”, Lusia Finkelstein recollected after the war.
After the Gestapo had received a report on Wiktoria, she was arrested on the charge of helping Jews. The woman asked for a possibility to inform his son about the situation so that he would not be surprised after his return home.She went to her apartment assisted by a soldier. She took the opportunity to ask her friends to shelter Lusia for a few days. She also contacted the girl and gave her advice on how to behave in that situation.
Wiktoria was released due to lack of evidence.After a few days, she took Lusia to her house again. The girl stayed in her place until the end of the war.
Wiktoria Głowacz helped other Jews as well. She provided material support to Lusia’s father and brother who were in the Janowska camp in Lvov. Apart from that, a Jewish couple from Tarnopol stayed in her apartment for a few weeks. A Jew from Lvov with a false identity card for the name of Stanisław Grabiec was also sheltered by Wiktoria. He lived in Wiktoria’s place for six months. After that, Wiktoria took him to Warsaw where his wife and mother-in-law had already been staying. The three of them survived the war.
In August 1944, Wiktoria Głowacz brought a 12-year Jewish boy to her place. The boy’s so-called Aryan name was Adam Hus.He stayed in her apartment for several months. Wiktoria found shelter for him near Zakopane, where he survived the war.
She provided help voluntarily.“When Wiktoria Głowacz took me from Złoczów to Cracow and when I lived in her place, I did not give her any valuables or money. I was maintained by her all the time. She bought me the clothes I needed, I had everything I needed and she never refused me anything. She was like a mother, a father and a sister for me”, Lusia Finkelstein summed up after the war.
In autumn 1946, Lusia went to Australia with her newly-wed husband, from where she kept in touch with Wiktoria Głowacz.
