Stefan Jagodzinski
Encyclopedia
Stefan Jagodziński lived in Stary Korczyn near Kraków
during the Nazi German occupation of Poland in World War II
. He worked for the Polish underground and was wanted by the Gestapo
. Jagodziński was recognized as the Righteous Among the Nations
by Yad Vashem
in Jerusalem in 1986, for rescuing a Jewish family from the Holocaust
.
In late 1942, through his underground contacts Jagodziński came to the aid of Dr. Bronislaw Tenenwurzel's family interned in the Miechów
Ghetto near Kraków. Earlier, Tenenwurzels sent their 14-year-old son to a Cistercian monastery
in the nearby village of Mogiła. The boy disliked it, and ran away. A Polish friend sent him to stay with Stefan Jagodziński instead, both under assumed names. Together they became active in the Underground. Soon the boy's Jewish identity became publicly known and so, under a new threat they moved to Kraków, from where, thanks to Jagodziński’s contacts, Emanuel was smuggled to Hungary
. He lived there until liberation in early 1945. Meanwhile, Stefan Jagodziński aided Tenenwurzel’s mother and sister with forged “Aryan” papers upon their escape from the Miechów ghetto. Their father was killed in the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp.
In the following decades Emanuel Tenenwurzel remained in contact with his wartime savior while living in the United States. Thanks to his efforts, on July 24, 1986, Yad Vashem recognized Stefan Jagodziński as the Righteous Among the Nations
.
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
during the Nazi German occupation of Poland in World War II
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
. He worked for the Polish underground and was wanted by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
. Jagodziński was recognized as 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 1986, for rescuing a Jewish family from the Holocaust
Holocaust in Poland
The Holocaust, also known as haShoah , was a genocide officially sanctioned and executed by the Third Reich during World War II. It took the lives of three million Polish Jews, destroying an entire civilization. Only a small percentage survived or managed to escape beyond the reach of the Nazis...
.
In late 1942, through his underground contacts Jagodziński came to the aid of Dr. Bronislaw Tenenwurzel's family interned in the Miechów
Miechów
Miechów is a town in Poland, in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, about 40 km north of Kraków. It is the capital of Miechów County. Population is 11,852 ....
Ghetto near Kraków. Earlier, Tenenwurzels sent their 14-year-old son to a Cistercian monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
in the nearby village of Mogiła. The boy disliked it, and ran away. A Polish friend sent him to stay with Stefan Jagodziński instead, both under assumed names. Together they became active in the Underground. Soon the boy's Jewish identity became publicly known and so, under a new threat they moved to Kraków, from where, thanks to Jagodziński’s contacts, Emanuel was smuggled to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. He lived there until liberation in early 1945. Meanwhile, Stefan Jagodziński aided Tenenwurzel’s mother and sister with forged “Aryan” papers upon their escape from the Miechów ghetto. Their father was killed in the Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp.
In the following decades Emanuel Tenenwurzel remained in contact with his wartime savior while living in the United States. Thanks to his efforts, on July 24, 1986, Yad Vashem recognized Stefan Jagodziński as 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....
.