RelatioNet DW CZ 17 KN PO
Dworzanczyk Czesław
Interviewer:
Marta Piszczatowska
Magda Szymborska
Maciek Masłowski
Łukasz Wojtecki
Dawid Olesiewicz
Telephone: 00-48-95-0000000 Fax: 00-48-95-7279970
Mobile: 00-48-000000 Email: cit@knyszyn.pl
ICQ: No
Messenger: No
Address: Knyszyn Poland
Saver:
Code: RelatioNet DW CZ 17 KN PO
Family Name: Dworzańczyk First Name: Czesław Middle Name: Dworzańczyk
Father Name: Szymon Mother Name: Józefa
Birth Date: 16.07.1917
Town In Holocaust: Knyszyn Country In Holocaust: Poland
Profession (Main) In Holocaust: Shoes maker
Death Place: Knyszyn Death Reason: Death Reason Year Of Death: 1989
Cemetary: Knyszyn
Review:
Interview with Henryk Dworzańczyk
Marta Piszczatowska, Magda Szymborska, Henryk Dworzańczyk, Maciek Masłowski
On Monday the 2nd of November 1942 at 5 a.m. dozens of horse-drawn carriages gathered at
the market. Within an hour Gestapo surrounded the town. A few members of Judenrat were walking from one house to another to inform Jews that the German government ordered everybody to meet in the street. Many Jews had misgivings that something bad may happen to them so they decided to escape to the forest and fields. This way, over eighty people run away. Among them there was also Samuel Suraski. The old and ill were shot up, and then buried on the Jewish cemetery of Knyszyn. Most of those who had been caught were taken to Białystok, and then to Treblinka for ultimate extermination.On the 1st August 2007 three students of junior high school in Knyszyn (Marta Piszczatowska, Magda Szymborska and Maciek Masłowski) had a meeting with Henryk Dworzańczyk, the son of Czesław Dworzańczyk who saved Samuel Suraski.
Henryk Dworzańczyk told us about what exactly happened at the Knyszyn Market that time and showed us some very important reminders from those days. Among them there were a few letters written by Samuel, a photo of Czesław and a pair of old shoes which Samuel and Czesław made together. Henryk Dworzańczyk took us for a short walk to show us the place where the house of Czesław Dworzańczyk had been situated on Starodworna Street. Near the house, in an annexed part Samuel Suraski had been hidden. We also saw a place where there was the house in which Samuel lived before the war and the house where Czesław and Samuel were making shoes. That time they both were about 30 years old. Czesław lived with his father and Samuel with his big family. It consisted of two sisters and three brothers, two of them were twins. The boys delivered food from Białystok to the Jewish shops.
On the day of “zaduszki” (2nd October) in 1942, when the Nazis manhunt started, Samuel Suraski managed to run away along Starodworna Street towards the house of Dworzańczyk family which was considerably outlying from other municipal buildings. There he met Czesław whom he knew very well. He hid him immediately on his farm. Just behind the house, there was an economic building and excelent hideaway exactly in the place of the connection of both buildings. Samuel had been hidden there for about one and a half year. The annexed house had been built very carefully so that it couldn’t be noticed from the street side. Czesław helped Suraski not paying any attention to the risk he had taken. His family life was in danger all the time when he was helping Samuel. Hiding Jews was unsafe, that’s why it remained a big secret. Nobody knew about it, even the family living in Knyszyn. Samuel could leave his hideaway only at night for a very short period of time. Czesław provided food and things needed to survive for Samuel. In 1944 when the front approached to Knyszyn Samuel, as well as the majority of inhabitants, escaped from the town which was almost completely destroyed during battles.
After the war, Samuel left Poland and emigrated to Israel. However, he kept in touch with his friend. In his letters he wrote about his great longing for Knyszyn and, first of all, for his benefactor, Czesław Dworzańczyk. Samuel and his wife, Rachel asked Czesław about his health condition, prayed for his well-being and asked God to bless him:“... Take care Czesław! God bless you! Hope God will give you good health and strenght... “
Samuel and his wife several times sent Czesław fresh oranges for Christmas. Suraski remembered and missed delicious Polish soups and the smell of fresh bread bringing by Czesław to his hideaway. After Czesław’s death, deep in sadness Suraski and his wife kept writing letters to his son, Henryk. In their letters they emphasized how good his father was. After Samuel’s death exchanging letters had been stopped.
We asked Henryk whether his father received the title of “The Righteous Among The Nations” for his heroic savig Samuel. It turned out that Czesław Dworzańczyk was a very modest person and never strove for that title. He claimed he was happy because he could save someone’s life and never needed any titles for that.
Relatives:
Review: Review
Code: RelatioNet AA BB 11 CC DD
Family Name: Family First Name: First Name Middle Name: Middle Name
Father Name: Father Name Mother Name: Mother Name
Relationship (to Saver): Relationship
Birth Date: 1/01/1925
Town In Holocaust: Town Country In Holocaust: Country
Profession (Main) In Holocaust: Profession
Status (Today): Alive/Dead
If Dead - Death Place: Town Country Death Reason: Death Reason Year Of Death: Year
If Alive - Address Today: Town Country
Email: aaa@bbbbbb.net
Code: RelatioNet AA BB 11 CC DD
Family Name: Family First Name: First Name Middle Name: Middle Name
Father Name: Father Name Mother Name: Mother Name
Relationship (to Saver): Relationship
Birth Date: 1/01/1925
Town In Holocaust: Town Country In Holocaust: Country
Profession (Main) In Holocaust: Profession
Status (Today): Alive/Dead
If Dead - Death Place: Town Country Death Reason: Death Reason Year Of Death: Year
If Alive - Address Today: Town Country
Email: aaa@bbbbbb.net
