European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

During the whole winter I worked as a cart man.

When it was still dark outside we used to go to the forest by sleigh, load the timber, firewood.

We took it to the station called Bezdany, there we had to unload the firewood and come back to the forest.

We had to do this twice a day.

The next spring came in 1941.

In June 1941 I went to Vilnius.

I guess I had to meet with somebody, to find out about somebody, I do not remember exactly.

There was very little contact then with the city.

I found out that the doctor died two days earlier,

that his wife and daughter did not have money to pay for the funeral,

and they asked me if me and my mum could help them.

I came back home, my mum said: your money, you made it, take it.

I went to Vilnius and after that I did not see my mum for a couple of years.

That day I could evade arrest, this family had a phone– the Zebrowski family,

and somebody from their relations knew I was in Vilnius

and informed me that my mum had been deported from her place

and told me not to come back as they were looking for me.

Introduction, parents

My name is Stefania Dąmbrowska.