"SECURITISED" FROM GYRARD
AK “INFORMATION OFFICE OF IPN ” MARCH 2020
Czesław Kucharski nicknamed “Black” soldier of the Centre ZWZ/AK “Żaba”. in Zyrardów. Wartime destiny and heroic attitude in rescuing Jews brought him
– many years after the war – the honor of giving the medal and honorary diploma to the Righteous among the Nations – the highest civilian honour awarded to foreigners since 1963 by the State of Israel.
He was born on 15 August 1915 in Kozlowice Old close Zyrardów. Prior to the outbreak of planet War II, he worked as a firefighter at the Fire Department of Textile Works in Zyrardów. In September 1939, in the rank of corporal, the WP fought in the 30th Kaniowski firearm Regiment. In the conflict of Krasnystaw (18 – 19 September), he was wounded. After the war ended, he returned to his hometown and joined the conspiracy.
From 1 November 1940, he operated in the ZWZ and later in the Home Army, until its dissolution. On January 19, 1945, he served as a soldier of the Home of the AK “The Frog”, serving in the 3rd Company, in the 7th platoon, as of August 1943, being commander of the 1st team.
He was denounced by a traitor, Marian Paprzycki, and arrested by a gyrard gendarmerie. A akin destiny met the another soldiers of his team.
At the confrontation with Maran Papycki, “Black” did not admit to the conspiracy activity, and he was defended by Ottokar Ostryt, manager of the Żyrardian Textile Works, where “Black” worked as a firefighter.
After the war Czesław Kucharski was introduced to the inhabitants of Żyrardów as a talented vocalist in the local choir "Lutnia", with which he started working before the war.
He died on 27 May 1991 in Żyrardów and was buried in a local cemetery.
JEWISH AID
At the time of the outbreak of planet War II in 1939 Czesław Kucharski lived with his parents and sister Gienia in a household home in Kozlowice Stary.
The judaic household – Machla and Beniamin Infantry and 3 insignificant sons lived a fewer houses further. They arrived in Kozlovice Stary before the war with Włocławka. Beniamin owned a sawmill in Kozlowice Old. The Kucharski and Piechotki families established friendly neighbourly relations.
In the fall of 1940, the Germans spent all the Jews of Kozlovic Stary, Zyrardów and surrounding areas to the railway station building in Żyrardów. The next day they were transported to the ghetto in Warsaw. This destiny besides met the Infantry family.
By November 1943 Czesław Kucharski had no information about them. In 1943, the full Piechotki household escaped from the ghetto to Kozlovice Stary looking for aid from erstwhile neighbour Czesław Kucharski. It should be recalled at this point that during planet War II Poland was the only country in occupied Europe in which the death punishment for helping Jews was immediate, even the full household of the individual helping Jews.
The Infantry household was hidden in the Cook house. During the day the infantry hid in the cell telephone – at night in the attic. Aniel's parent and Gienia's sister knew this. Czesław Kucharski's father Francis worked at that time in Łódź, directed at robots by Germans.
As a consequence of the report, the Germans, suspecting the Cooks searched the house, did not scope the attic without uncovering the household of Infantry hidden there. At night Beniamin and his wife and youngest boy Jerzyek fled to Millanówek, leaving the older sons of Dzidek and Lunka under the care of the Cooks. The next morning, Czesław Kucharski took the boys on a bicycle to the village of Medniewice to Mr. Spider's farm, asking for aid in hiding the boys. He lied erstwhile he said they were sons of a Home Army soldier, shot by the Germans along with his full family. A spider, having 3 children already agreed to accept only 1 boy, a light-haired Dzidek, including him into his household as his son.
The second boy Lunek, was transported to the village of Stary Drzewicz, where he was most likely hidden by a household named Kowalski.
Czesław Kucharski, risking his life, was in constant contact with families hiding boys.
The Infantry family, upon arriving in Milanówek, sought refuge with a man who worked in a sawmill in Kozlowice Old before the war. For his help, he demanded money. Benjamin Infantry, for fear of his household gave him all his savings, but despite this erstwhile sawmill individual informed the Germans that Jews were in the shed. As a consequence of this report, the Germans shot Benjamin and his boy Jerzyek.
Mrs. Machla Infantry hid, avoiding death, but she witnessed the tragedy.
The following day, she escaped from Milanówka back to Zyrardów, and found refuge in the Bonikowski State (Bunikowskie?), which was besides workers of the Piechotków sawmill before the war. The Bonikowski home was located right next to the German Gendarmerie building in Żyrardów and was a gathering place where Czesław Kucharski gave Miss Infantry information about the destiny of her sons. He besides secretly carried her to meet the boys respective times. Meetings were held in a deep conspiracy on the road to the village of Medniewice, under the bridge. It couldn't have been revealed that the boys' parent was alive and the communicative of their origin is not true. The grandpa and Lunk were in hiding until the end of the war, besides their parent survived the German occupation.
In 1945, the Piechotki household left for Włocławek and their contact ceased.
SINCE THE YEARS
Although respective decades have passed since the war ended, the memory of the boys who were saved by Czesław Kucharski was inactive alive. It was decided to look for information about the destiny of the Piechotki household in the judaic Municipality in Warsaw. After a while, the news came that they were alive and surviving in Israel
This message was very pleased by Czesław Kucharski.
In June 1991, 1 of the sons of Benjamin Piechota came to Poland. He visited Kozłowice look looking for Czesław Kucharski.
From a neighbour, Mr.Zdunk, who recognized Dzidek, he learned that the Kucharski household no longer lives in Kozlowice Stary, and Czesław Kuchciński died 2 weeks before Dzidek arrived in Poland.
The grandpa of Infantry, who in Israel took a fresh name – Ephraim Khiram, decided to pay tribute to the late Czesław Kucharski, who reported him to the Martyrs' and Heroes' Institute of Holocaust Yad Vashem, as the Righteous Among the Nations. The Yad Vashem peculiar Commission, in favour of the proposal and in designation of the merits of saving the lives of judaic people during the Holocaust, decided on January 15, 2019 to give Czesław Kucharski an honorary title – Righteous Among the Nations.
The ceremony of awarding the medal and honorary diploma was held on 20 February 2020 at the POLIN Museum of the past of Polish Jews in Warsaw.
The medal and diploma at the hands of Alexander Ben Zvi, the Israeli ambassador to Poland, were received by Mrs Ewa Koć, daughter of Czesław Kucharski, together with her husband Remigius.
According to tradition, Czesław Kucharski's name was engraved on the Memorial Wall in the Righteous Garden, at the Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem.
Unfortunately, the wellness condition did not let Dzidek Infantry to be present at the POLIN Museum during the ceremony.
In the letter sent to this occasion, Ewa Koć wrote:
‘(...) I broke my femur a period ago and inactive can't decision myself. I am sorry that I cannot attend the Warsaw ceremony of awarding the medal to Czesław Kucharski. The award was granted at my request. It's the least I could do for an extraordinary man who was a brave man in my eyes. We survived only thanks to Mr Czesław Kucharski: Mama – Malka Piechota, my brother Chaim and me. Thanks to him, we were able to participate in building and defending our fresh Homeland. My long work for Israel is so offered to Mr Czesław Kucharski and to the blessed memory of Benjamin and Jakir.”
During the ceremony honoring the 10 Righteous Among the planet Nations, Lauder – Morah's children's choir in Warsaw performed in Yiddish the anthem of the State of Israel and works "Eli eli", "Jeruzalaim szel zachaw" and "Ode to Joy".
Mr. Ephraim Khiram (Grandfather of Infantry), serving in Israel as the city's mayor
Ramat haSharon besides decided to fund a memorial dedicated to the memory of children
Jewish murdered during planet War II. No uncertainty about that decision.
The war drama of his family, the death of Father and Brother Jerzyek, and thousands influenced
children murdered by Germans.
Environment ‘ZZ ŻAK ‘The Frog’ in Żyrardów
AK "INFORMATION OFFICE" MARCH 2020
Developd by Aleksander Szumański
