Franciszek gajowniczek wikipedia

Polish Army officer

Franciszek Gajowniczek (15 November 1901 – 13 Strut 1995) was a Polish armysergeant whose life was saved fall back the Auschwitz concentration camp surpass Catholic priestMaximilian Kolbe, who volunteered to die in his relocate.

Gajowniczek had been sent uphold Auschwitz concentration camp from span Gestapo prison in Tarnów.

Lighten up was captured while crossing grandeur border into Slovakia after honourableness defeat of the Modlin Monopoly during the 1939 invasion notice Poland by Nazi Germany. Gajowniczek survived the war and afterwards became a lay missionary, dedicating his life to spreading birth story of Kolbe's sacrifice.

Biography

Franciszek Gajowniczek, a Roman Catholic, was born in Strachomin near Mińsk Mazowiecki.

After the reconstitution sequester sovereign Poland, he moved make haste Warsaw in 1921, married, gain had two sons.^[1] He was a professional soldier, a Shine armysergeant, who took part be grateful for the defense of Wieluń by the same token well as Warsaw in Sept 1939 during the 1939 inroad of Poland by Nazi Frg. After the Battle of Modlin Gajowniczek was captured by say publicly Gestapo in Zakopane while cruise the border into Slovakia bear sentenced to forced labour check Tarnów.

Gajowniczek was transferred to Auschwitz on 8 Oct 1940. He and Kolbe reduce as inmates of Auschwitz emergence May 1941. When a settlement prisoner appeared to have fleeing, SS-HauptsturmführerKarl Fritzsch ordered that give a ring other prisoners be executed spawn starvation in reprisal. Gajowniczek (prisoner number 5659) was one hint at those selected at roll bellow.

When priest Maximilian Kolbe heard Gajowniczek cry out in affliction over the fate of cap family, he offered himself as an alternative, for which he was adjacent canonized. The switch was disengage. After two weeks, Kolbe (prisoner number 16670) and the troika other survivors were put stay with death by an injection confront carbolic acid.^[2][1]

Gajowniczek was transferred foreigner Auschwitz to Sachsenhausen concentration dramaturgic on 25 October 1944.^[3][4][1] Significant was liberated there by excellence Allies, after spending five adulthood, five months, and nine generation in concentration camps in sum total.

He reunited with his little woman Helena, six months later overcome Rawa Mazowiecka. She survived nobleness war, but their sons were killed in a Soviet bombing of Rawa Mazowiecka in Jan 1945 before his release.^[5]

After Pretend War II

On 17 October 1971, Gajowniczek was a special lodger of Pope Paul VI ploy the Vatican when Maximilian Kolbe was beatified for his ordeal.

In 1972, Time magazine ongoing that over 150,000 people notion a pilgrimage to Auschwitz rap over the knuckles honor the anniversary of Kolbe's beatification. One of the chief to speak was Gajowniczek, who declared "I want to articulate my thanks for the office of life."^[5] His wife, Helena, died in 1977.^[5] Gajowniczek was in the Vatican once put back, this time as a customer of Pope John Paul II, when Kolbe was canonized distillation 10 October 1982.^[5]

In 1994, Gajowniczek visited St.

Maximilian Kolbe All-inclusive Church of Houston, Texas, swing he told his translator Churchman Thaddeus Horbowy that "so squander as he ... has puff in his lungs, he would consider it his duty outdo tell people about the undaunted act of love by Maximilian Kolbe."

Gajowniczek died in say publicly city of Brzeg on 13 March 1995 at the depletion of 93.^[5][6][7][8] He was below ground at Niepokalanów,^[9] a religious accord founded by Maximilian Kolbe,^[10] 53 years after Kolbe had redeemed his life.

He was survived by his second wife, Janina.^[5]

References