„My name is Leokadia Błońska from the house Kozieł. During the years of the war, I lived in Tuliszów (Community Kościelne, close to Siewierz village). My family run a farm. That was my family house.”

The father of Mrs. Leokadia was a respected and revered man. He held the position of Mayor and never refused anyone help. When difficult and painful time of the German occupation has come, Jews had to hide. He always shared a meal with them, which even he didn’t have much. „The Jews came to our village at night. Always, when hungry and tired, they would came to us to hide from the German officers as they knew that my father was a good man, and we would never let them go hungry. We gave them bread and milk so they could go further and survive.”

Little Leokadia with her mother Irina Kozieł from Jakubczyk family often went to Będzin, where was a ghetto. The German officers there were very suspicious about people who were wandering around the area of the ghetto, caring food with them. It was strictly forbidden and threatened even with death. A mother and daughter were hiding food in their pockets and secretly gave it to the hungry, trapped in a ghetto Jews.

In 1940 little Leokadia was collecting with her grandmother, Franciszka Jakubczyk, potatoes from the field. Suddenly came to them a young girl who was Jewish. „[…] she asked to help her, because it was getting cold, and she would like to ask for help a miller Mr. Hyle, with whom her father did businesses. […] she had to get in the neighborhood of the mill”. Franciszka told the girl to wait until the evening, and she along with her granddaughter returned home. „We took pickaxes, scarfs, baskets and walked back to the field trying to not be seen. We gave it all to the girl and pretending to be coming back from the fields we her to the miller, where she stayed almost to the end of the war.” She told them that she already have escaped death before. When the Germans gathered Jews for deportation in Siewierz village, among them was rescued girl. Her flawless beauty and grace attracted the personal attention of one of the officers, who pulled her out of a crowd and told to leave immediately. „The girl ran away and during summer was hiding in the ruins of the vicinity in Podwarpia”.

Later she met Franciszka Jakubczyk, who contacted her with miller. A beautiful Jewish woman survived the war.

Bibliography:

  1. FLV, Relacja Leokadii Błońskiej (z d. Kozieł), [brak daty].