During the German occupation Eugeniusz Żukowski lived with his wife and son in Piotrków Trybunalski. In the second half of 1942 he got a job at the power plant. This profession gave him the right to enter the ghetto at any time. Because of this, the man, a member of the AK (national army), could conduct surveillance in the ghetto and help the Jewish population.

Eugeniusz was bringing to the ghetto a newspaper called „Biuletyn Informacyjny”. When one day he came with the press, approached him and asked for assistance in escaping, a man by the name of Rosenberg. They agreed to meet for the next day.

Żukowki came up with a very simple but also very dangerous escape plan. As the guards of the ghetto knew all employees from the power plant, they very rarely asked to show them work IDs. And so Eugeniusz and Rosenberg just went through the main gate. On the question of the guard who accompanies to Mr. Żukowski, he replied that it’s just one of the workers from power plant. The guard let them go without checking the documents. Eugeniusz took the man to his home, where together with his wife hid him for about two weeks.

When the news about escape from the ghetto spread, Żukowski together with his colleagues made for Rosenberg kenkart for the name of „Zygmunt Różański” – because of semitic facial features he had in his card Romanian origin. Then, for greater security, Eugnieusz moved Rosenberg out to his sister, Mrs. Synowacka, who lived in Warsaw. After some time, Żukowski took him to the next apartment where Rosenberg lived until the liberation. After the war, Zygmunt wrote in a statement: „Żukowski Eugeniusz saved me from certain death, and I want to note that exposing himself and his family he did it completely selflessly”.

This is not the only story of help that Eugeniusz provided. In 1943 the man drove the wounded by Germans Artur Faflik to the hospital in Piotrków Trybunalski and after surgery, he took him to a safe place. Recalls Alodia Faflik, Artur’s wife: „it was the act requiring special courage and sacrifice, as we were wanted by the Germans already in 1940.”

On 18th of April, 1989 Eugeniusz and Irena Żukowscy for help given to Rosenberg were awarded by the Institute Yad Vashem with title of Righteous among the Nations of the World.

Bibliography:

  1. FLV, List od Wiesława Żukowskiego [syna], Rzeszów, 23.06.2015 r.
  2. FLV, Opis mojej działalności w Z.W.Z- AK., Żukowski Eugeniusz, [brak daty].
  3. FLV, Oświadczenie Alodii Faflik, 05.06.1984 r.
  4. FLV, Oświadczenie Zygmunta Różańskiego, 13.12.1949 r.
  5. FLV, Protokół przesłuchania Eugeniusza Żukowskiego przez Okręgową Komisję Badania Zbrodni Hitlerowskich w Rzeszowie, 18.01.1985 r.