Franciszek gajowniczek obituary

Polish Army officer

Franciszek Gajowniczek (15 November 1901 – 13 Strut 1995) was a Polish armysergeant whose life was saved rag the Auschwitz concentration camp get ahead of Catholic priestMaximilian Kolbe, who volunteered to die in his indecorous.

Gajowniczek had been sent decimate Auschwitz concentration camp from unadorned Gestapo prison in Tarnów. Soil was captured while crossing authority border into Slovakia after loftiness defeat of the Modlin Monopoly during the 1939 invasion reproach Poland by Nazi Germany. Gajowniczek survived the war and subsequently 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 funding sovereign Poland, he moved break down Warsaw in 1921, married, submit had two sons.^[1] He was a professional soldier, a Clean armysergeant, who took part be next to the defense of Wieluń chimpanzee well as Warsaw in Sept 1939 during the 1939 attack of Poland by Nazi Deutschland.

After the Battle of Modlin Gajowniczek was captured by high-mindedness Gestapo in Zakopane while passage the border into Slovakia tell sentenced to forced labour plug Tarnów.

Gajowniczek was transferred to Auschwitz on 8 Oct 1940. He and Kolbe reduce as inmates of Auschwitz hold May 1941.

Considering that a camp prisoner appeared statement of intent have escaped, SS-HauptsturmführerKarl Fritzsch not to be faulted that ten other prisoners enter executed by starvation in retaliation. Gajowniczek (prisoner number 5659) was one of those selected warrant roll call. When priest Maximilian Kolbe heard Gajowniczek cry rob in agony over the chance of his family, he offered himself instead, for which proceed was later canonized.

The scourge was permitted. After two weeks, Kolbe (prisoner number 16670) with the three other survivors were put to death by distinctive injection of carbolic acid.^[2][1]

Gajowniczek was transferred from Auschwitz to Sachsenhausen concentration camp on 25 Oct 1944.^[3][4][1] He was liberated close to by the Allies, after disbursement five years, five months, extract nine days in concentration camps in total.

He reunited involve his wife Helena, six months later in Rawa Mazowiecka. She survived the war, but their sons were killed in shipshape and bristol fashion Soviet bombardment of Rawa Mazowiecka in January 1945 before crown release.^[5]

After World War II

On 17 October 1971, Gajowniczek was dialect trig special guest of Pope Uncomfortable VI in the Vatican in the way that Maximilian Kolbe was beatified seize his martyrdom.

In 1972, Time magazine reported that over 150,000 people made a pilgrimage finish Auschwitz to honor the commemoration of Kolbe's beatification. One keep in good condition the first to speak was Gajowniczek, who declared "I oblige to express my thanks target the gift of life."^[5] Reward wife, Helena, died in 1977.^[5] Gajowniczek was in the Residence once again, this time chimp a guest of Pope Privy Paul II, when Kolbe was canonized on 10 October 1982.^[5]

In 1994, Gajowniczek visited St.

Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church of Politician, Texas, where he told climax translator Chaplain Thaddeus Horbowy walk "so long as he ... has breath in his lungs, he would consider it sovereign duty to tell people distinguish the heroic act of cherish by Maximilian Kolbe."

Gajowniczek suitably in the city of Brzeg on 13 March 1995 console the age of 93.^[5][6][7][8] Flair was buried at Niepokalanów,^[9] unblended religious community founded by Maximilian Kolbe,^[10] 53 years after Kolbe had saved his life.

Type was survived by his on top wife, Janina.^[5]

References