Józef Noji
Encyclopedia
Józef Noji was a Polish
track and field athlete
and participant of the 1936 Summer Olympics
in Berlin
.
Together with Janusz Kusociński
, Noji was the most famous long-distance runner of the Second Polish Republic
. During the 1936 Olympic games, he participated in the 5000 meter run (finishing 5th) and 10000 meter run (finishing 14th). Also, he took part in the Track and Field Championships of Europe (Paris, 1938), where he was fifth in the 5000 meter competition.
Noji was a multiple champion of Poland in the 5000, 10000 and Cross country running
. In 1936 he became an international champion of England in the 6-mile run, two years later he won the same title in the 3-mile run. He was twice elected to the prestigious List of 10 Best Athletes of Poland, in 1936 he was second, in 1937 - tenth.
He did not fight in the Polish September Campaign, but as early as late 1939 or early 1940, he joined the resistance movement. Noji was arrested by the Germans
on September 18, 1940. After one year of imprisonment at Warsaw's notorious Pawiak
prison, he was transported to Auschwitz. Noji was murdered on February 15, 1943, allegedly for trying to smuggle
a letter. According to witnesses, he was killed by one of the SS guards (either Palitsch or Schopp or Stiwitz).
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
track and field athlete
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
and participant of the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
Together with Janusz Kusociński
Janusz Kusocinski
Janusz Tadeusz Kusociński was a Polish athlete, winner in the 10000 m event at the 1932 Summer Olympics....
, Noji was the most famous long-distance runner of the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
. During the 1936 Olympic games, he participated in the 5000 meter run (finishing 5th) and 10000 meter run (finishing 14th). Also, he took part in the Track and Field Championships of Europe (Paris, 1938), where he was fifth in the 5000 meter competition.
Noji was a multiple champion of Poland in the 5000, 10000 and Cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
. In 1936 he became an international champion of England in the 6-mile run, two years later he won the same title in the 3-mile run. He was twice elected to the prestigious List of 10 Best Athletes of Poland, in 1936 he was second, in 1937 - tenth.
He did not fight in the Polish September Campaign, but as early as late 1939 or early 1940, he joined the resistance movement. Noji was arrested by the Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on September 18, 1940. After one year of imprisonment at Warsaw's notorious Pawiak
Pawiak
Pawiak was a prison built in 1835 in Warsaw, Poland.During the January 1863 Uprising, it served as a transfer camp for Poles sentenced by Imperial Russia to deportation to Siberia....
prison, he was transported to Auschwitz. Noji was murdered on February 15, 1943, allegedly for trying to smuggle
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...
a letter. According to witnesses, he was killed by one of the SS guards (either Palitsch or Schopp or Stiwitz).