Henryk Iwanski
Encyclopedia
Henryk Iwański nom de guerre Bystry, was a member of the Polish resistance during WWII. He is known for leading one of the most daring actions of the Armia Krajowa
(Home Army) in support of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
. For his assistance to the Polish Jews Iwański was bestowed the title of the Righteous Among the Nations
by Yad Vashem
in Jerusalem in 1964.
(Jewish Fighting Organization). Together with the rest of his family he dedicated himself to support the Jews, working through the Polish resistance (Armia Krajowa
). Iwański was one of the AK members dealing with the Jews, providing them with arms, ammunition, and instructional materials smuggled
through the sewer
s or in carts that brought lime and cement into the ghetto.
From the very first days of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
the AK maintained contact with the Jewish fighters and tried to support them by providing supplies and launching supportive strikes against the Germans. Some of AK soldiers volunteered to join the fighters in the ghetto from the very first day of the uprising. When one of the commanders of the Jewish units, Dawid Moryc Apfelbaum
, sent a message to the AK informing the Poles that he had been wounded, and asking for arms and ammunition
, Iwański took an AK unit (Państwowy Korpus Bezpieczeństwa
, the Security Corps) through a tunnel into the Ghetto to directly support the Jewish fighters. Among the 18 members of the unit were his brother, Wacław and Henryk's son, Roman. They entered the ghetto on April 27, 1943, bringing ammunition and other supplies and on the spot they decided to relieve some of the exhausted fighters, engaging the Germans together with the remaining members of the ŻZW on the Muranowski Square. In the fight Wacław was killed; Henryk and his son Roman were seriously wounded, Roman fatally. Zbigniew, another son of Henryk fought on Karmelicka Street and died on May 3, 1943, escorting a group of Jews out of the ghetto. After being wounded, Iwański was brought from the ghetto, escorted by a group of Polish and Jewish fighters, among them Ber Mark, who later wrote a book about the Uprising. Nonetheless, Iwański returned to the ghetto at least once more, bringing another set of ammunition and supplies. This was one of several actions of the Polish resistance providing assistance to the Jews in the ghetto.
In 1963, for his actions Iwański was awarded the Silver Cross of Virtuti Militari
, one of Poland's highest military decoration
s for valor. Soon later, in 1964, with his wife Wiktoria he was decorated with the medal of Righteous Among the Nations
(awarded only, if there are or were, at the time of the award, Jewish witnesses who survive
d).
Recent questions concerning inconsistencies regarding the nature and extent of Iwanski's support for the Jewish underground have been raised. Examinations of Israeli and Polish archives have brought allegations that Iwanski exaggerated his war time activities, had made anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli radio and television broadcasts, and as an informant of Polish secret police had spied on Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal
as an informant against the Jewish Historical Institute (reasons for such accusation might have been that, first, it was unlikely for a member of the Home Army to be tolerated and much less likely to be awarded a medal by the Communists; also possibly a vendetta through the means of history for his activy in 1968 that was either anti-Semitic or viewed as such).
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
(Home Army) in support of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was the Jewish resistance that arose within the Warsaw Ghetto in German occupied Poland during World War II, and which opposed Nazi Germany's effort to transport the remaining ghetto population to Treblinka extermination camp....
. For his assistance to the Polish Jews Iwański was bestowed the title of the Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous among the Nations of the world's nations"), also translated as Righteous Gentiles is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis....
by Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....
in Jerusalem in 1964.
Life
Before the Second World War Henryk had reached the rank of captain in the Polish Army. Soon after Nazi Germany invaded Poland and began the Holocaust, Henryk was instrumental in the founding of the Żydowski Związek WojskowyZydowski Zwiazek Wojskowy
Żydowski Związek Wojskowy was an underground resistance organization operating during World War II in the area of the Warsaw Ghetto which fought during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising...
(Jewish Fighting Organization). Together with the rest of his family he dedicated himself to support the Jews, working through the Polish resistance (Armia Krajowa
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
). Iwański was one of the AK members dealing with the Jews, providing them with arms, ammunition, and instructional materials smuggled
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
through the sewer
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
s or in carts that brought lime and cement into the ghetto.
From the very first days of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was the Jewish resistance that arose within the Warsaw Ghetto in German occupied Poland during World War II, and which opposed Nazi Germany's effort to transport the remaining ghetto population to Treblinka extermination camp....
the AK maintained contact with the Jewish fighters and tried to support them by providing supplies and launching supportive strikes against the Germans. Some of AK soldiers volunteered to join the fighters in the ghetto from the very first day of the uprising. When one of the commanders of the Jewish units, Dawid Moryc Apfelbaum
Dawid Moryc Apfelbaum
Dawid Moryc Apfelbaum , nom de guerre "Kowal" was an officer in the Polish Army and a commander of the Jewish Military Union , during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising In 1939 Apfelbaum was a Lieutenant in the...
, sent a message to the AK informing the Poles that he had been wounded, and asking for arms and ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
, Iwański took an AK unit (Państwowy Korpus Bezpieczeństwa
Panstwowy Korpus Bezpieczenstwa
Państwowy Korpus Bezpieczeństwa was a Polish underground police force organized by the Armia Krajowa and Government Delegate's Office at Home under German occupation during World War II...
, the Security Corps) through a tunnel into the Ghetto to directly support the Jewish fighters. Among the 18 members of the unit were his brother, Wacław and Henryk's son, Roman. They entered the ghetto on April 27, 1943, bringing ammunition and other supplies and on the spot they decided to relieve some of the exhausted fighters, engaging the Germans together with the remaining members of the ŻZW on the Muranowski Square. In the fight Wacław was killed; Henryk and his son Roman were seriously wounded, Roman fatally. Zbigniew, another son of Henryk fought on Karmelicka Street and died on May 3, 1943, escorting a group of Jews out of the ghetto. After being wounded, Iwański was brought from the ghetto, escorted by a group of Polish and Jewish fighters, among them Ber Mark, who later wrote a book about the Uprising. Nonetheless, Iwański returned to the ghetto at least once more, bringing another set of ammunition and supplies. This was one of several actions of the Polish resistance providing assistance to the Jews in the ghetto.
Virtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
, one of Poland's highest military decoration
Military decoration
A military decoration is a decoration given to military personnel or units for heroism in battle or distinguished service. They are designed to be worn on military uniform....
s for valor. Soon later, in 1964, with his wife Wiktoria he was decorated with the medal of Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous among the Nations of the world's nations"), also translated as Righteous Gentiles is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis....
(awarded only, if there are or were, at the time of the award, Jewish witnesses who survive
Survive
Survive is the verb form of survival, and may also refer to:*Survive *Survive , or the title song*Survive *Survive , or the title song*"Survive"...
d).
Recent questions concerning inconsistencies regarding the nature and extent of Iwanski's support for the Jewish underground have been raised. Examinations of Israeli and Polish archives have brought allegations that Iwanski exaggerated his war time activities, had made anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli radio and television broadcasts, and as an informant of Polish secret police had spied on Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal
Simon Wiesenthal
Simon Wiesenthal KBE was an Austrian Holocaust survivor who became famous after World War II for his work as a Nazi hunter....
as an informant against the Jewish Historical Institute (reasons for such accusation might have been that, first, it was unlikely for a member of the Home Army to be tolerated and much less likely to be awarded a medal by the Communists; also possibly a vendetta through the means of history for his activy in 1968 that was either anti-Semitic or viewed as such).
See also
- Jerzy Lawiński
- Henryk WolińskiHenryk WolinskiHenryk Woliński was a member of the Polish resistance movement in World War II, specifically the Armia Krajowa , where he reached the rank of colonel. He was the head of the "Jewish Department" in AK's Bureau of Information and Propaganda. His codename was "Wacław". He was recognized by Yad Vashem...
- Władysław Zajdler
- List of Poles