European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

It was the village leader Mr. Baučius who was sent from Lithuania,

I guess he could speak Polish, even though it was not good.

The second one was Mr. Žemaitis

who had nothing to do with the next minister in here, who was by the way a person of Jewish descent, not a Jew or a Lithuanian.

Žemaitis had a big farm house

and he was the vice-village leader.

Mr. Jankowski, Henryk as I well remember – the district secretary, was also helping.

But there were some people who were against Jankowski in spite of the fact he had never done any dirty things.

At Jankowski´s place lived an organist,

he was the musician and later professor at our Music Academy - Witold Rudziński.

The Rudziński family lived at Jankowski´s.

We had stayed in touch with the Rudziński family,

I mean me and the Świezewski family used to go there,

all of them knew about Maryśka coming,

maybe some documents were needed to give to Maryśka so the church was also a good place.

Those two men, these village leaders, did not let Gestapo get to Orwidów two or three times.

When the Gestapo came and started investigating the inhabitants,

Mr. Žemaitis went to his farm house, bringing rotgut from there, some meat - they organized a big party and informed me.

Hiding a Jewish girl: Sonia; Gestapo’s raid

One beautiful day Jadzia came to me and said: