teaching the holocaust 2004 summer workshop - Southern Institute ...

DOBROWOLSKI
30
Stanislaw Dobrowolski was the head of
Zegota’s operations in Krakow, the very seat
of the Nazi government in occupied
Poland. He was deeply involved in the rescue
of Jewish children and with supplying false
documents and other supplies to Jews in
hiding. I interviewed Dobrowolski in
Warsaw.
NOT HEROIC
You know Catholic church was not heroic, and not interested to help activity of Jew.
We have not proof, not documentation, that was one case in which the authorities, the
hierarchy, decided to help a Jew. Never, never. Is not the one proof. It is the great propaganda
after liberation. You know, a lot of clergy people, especially of simple priests and first of all of
nuns were very humanitarian and good fellow, but they never got the orders to help, and never
approved. I in my memoirs, I told for example about the case when we have had by the nuns
some percent of children, Jewish children, and we paid, our organization, and I remember a
case when every month the young nun was coming for the money for nine children's
allowance, and it happens in '44 that during three months nobody was coming to us. We
verified that nuns are not more in their cloister. They are expelled, and they are out of
Krakow and the offensive, the Soviet offensive, was very close. Very near. We were completely
unmoved. Not chance to look where they are, but in one moment to my office, so-called
office, Jagiellonska 11, is coming this young nun, and said, “Be quiet, is all right. But I'm
endangered. I propose you the appointment in other place.” And I met her few hours later
with money. I pay her for the three months and for the next month. I asked, “What has
happened, sister?” And she told me, “We're expelled. We are now close to Tarnow. The
prospects are very bad.” I ask, “What you like to do?”" “I'm not decided, but a bishop visited
us.” Bishops have not the direct right to administer the cloister, but they have the right to
control, and the bishop was present and going out back to Tarnow, he mention, “Please, not