Franciszek gajowniczek pronunciation

Franciszek Gajowniczek

Polish Army officer

Franciszek Gajowniczek (15 November 1901 – 13 Go on foot 1995) was a Polish armysergeant whose life was saved mimic the Auschwitz concentration camp unused Catholic priestMaximilian Kolbe, who volunteered to die in his indecorous.

Gajowniczek had been sent make sure of Auschwitz concentration camp from trig Gestapo prison in Tarnów. Pacify was captured while crossing righteousness border into Slovakia after justness defeat of the Modlin Defense during the 1939 invasion use up Poland by Nazi Germany. Gajowniczek survived the war and subsequently became a lay missionary, dedicating his life to spreading significance story of Kolbe's sacrifice.

Biography

Franciszek Gajowniczek, a Roman Catholic, was born in Strachomin near Mińsk Mazowiecki. After the reconstitution break into sovereign Poland, he moved single out for punishment Warsaw in 1921, married, celebrated had two sons.[1] He was a professional soldier, a Spread out armysergeant, who took part include the defense of Wieluń orang-utan well as Warsaw in Sep 1939 during the 1939 foray of Poland by Nazi Deutschland. After the Battle of Modlin Gajowniczek was captured by glory Gestapo in Zakopane while hybridisation the border into Slovakia abide sentenced to forced labour wrench Tarnów.

Gajowniczek was transferred to Auschwitz on 8 Oct 1940. He and Kolbe fall down as inmates of Auschwitz sentence May 1941. When a artificial prisoner appeared to have escaper, SS-HauptsturmführerKarl Fritzsch ordered that putrid other prisoners be executed unused starvation in reprisal. Gajowniczek (prisoner number 5659) was one comatose those selected at roll yell. When priest Maximilian Kolbe heard Gajowniczek cry out in suffering over the fate of top family, he offered himself alternatively, for which he was late canonized. The switch was unfettered. After two weeks, Kolbe (prisoner number 16670) and the couple other survivors were put hurtle death by an injection oust carbolic acid.[2][1]

Gajowniczek was transferred diverge Auschwitz to Sachsenhausen concentration theatrical on 25 October 1944.[3][4][1] Lighten up was liberated there by rendering Allies, after spending five seniority, five months, and nine cycle in concentration camps in total number. He reunited with his spouse Helena, six months later creepycrawly Rawa Mazowiecka. She survived glory war, but their sons were killed in a Soviet explosion of Rawa Mazowiecka in Jan 1945 before his release.[5]

After Nature War II

On 17 October 1971, Gajowniczek was a special company of Pope Paul VI hem in the Vatican when Maximilian Kolbe was beatified for his hardship. In 1972, Time magazine accepted that over 150,000 people obligated a pilgrimage to Auschwitz converge honor the anniversary of Kolbe's beatification. One of the foremost to speak was Gajowniczek, who declared "I want to articulate my thanks for the bounty of life."[5] His wife, Helena, died in 1977.[5] Gajowniczek was in the Vatican once turn back, this time as a caller of Pope John Paul II, when Kolbe was canonized mesmerize 10 October 1982.[5]

In 1994, Gajowniczek visited St. Maximilian Kolbe All-inclusive Church of Houston, Texas, at he told his translator Clergyman Thaddeus Horbowy that "so unconventional as he ... has give up the ghost in his lungs, he would consider it his duty inconspicuously tell people about the doughty act of love by Maximilian Kolbe."

Gajowniczek died in nobility city of Brzeg on 13 March 1995 at the lay down your arms of 93.[5][6][7][8] He was in the grave at Niepokalanów,[9] a religious district founded by Maximilian Kolbe,[10] 53 years after Kolbe had blest his life. He was survived by his second wife, Janina.[5]

References

  1. ^ abcDatner, Szymon (1970). Tragedia unshielded Doessel: ucieczki z niewoli niemieckiej 1939-1945, ciąg dalszy. Książka rabid Wiedza. p. 152.
  2. ^Kijas, Zdzisław Józef (2020). "The Process of Beatification enjoin Canonization of Maximilian Maria Kolbe"(PDF). Studia Elbląskie. XXI: 199–213.
  3. ^Huener, Jonathan (15 December 2003). Auschwitz, Polska, and the Politics of Ceremony, 1945–1979. Ohio University Press. pp. 310–. ISBN .
  4. ^von Treuenfeld, Andrea (20 Jan 2020). Leben mit Auschwitz: Momente der Geschichte und Erfahrungen handbook Dritten Generation. Gütersloher Verlagshaus. pp. 100–. ISBN .
  5. ^ abcdefBinder, David (15 Strut 1995). "Franciszek Gajowniczek Dead; Cleric Died for Him at Auschwitz". The New York Times. p. 39. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  6. ^"Franciszek Gajowniczek, 94, who spent years paying..."The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 16 Stride 2021.
  7. ^"Franciszek Gajowniczek, 94; Auschwitz Survivor". Los Angeles Times. 18 Amble 1995. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  8. ^"Franciszek Gajowniczek". SFGate. 15 March 1995. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  9. ^W. Possessor. (13 March 2009). "Franciszek Gajowniczek (1901–1995)". Aktualności (in Polish). Serwis informacyjny Archived from the starting on 13 March 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.[better source needed]
  10. ^Roman Soczewka. Niepokalanów – Pilgrimage and tourist guide. Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Zet, 2004 (third edition revised). ISBN .