Residents of Polomyia - murdered for helping Jews
Place
Połomyja
People
Rębiś Józef
Rębiś Anna
Rębiś Karol
Rębiś Wiktoria
Rębiś Zofia
Rębiś Jan
Rębiś Władysław
Miela Zofia
Gawryć Piotr
Gawryś Feliks
Piotr Gawryc lived in the village of Polomyja (now Połomia) near Pilzno. During the occupation he helped the Rebisia family to hide about 12 Jews, who were taken in by the Poles in 1942. Joseph and Anna Rebis had five children: Jan, Karol, Wiktoria, Zofia and Wladyslaw. The latter already started their own family and lived in Latoszyn near Debica. Wiktoria was the fiancée of Feliks Gawrys, who lived with the Rebisia family.
The family prepared two hiding places for the Jews: under the barn and under the woodshed. They were equipped with bunks and mattresses. The people in hiding came from Cracow, Tarnow and Lviv. One of the local residents warned the Rebisians three times against a threatening search, but in spite of that the family did not send the Jews away.
Near the farm, Zofia Miela lived with her granddaughter (Eugenia). The woman worked for the Rebis as a housekeeper. At their request she took in a group of Jews. In 1941 Joseph Rebis and his sons – Jan and Karol – built a shelter in the barn belonging to Zofia Miela.
On September 9, 1943, the Germans came to the Rebis farm. They were denounced. Joseph, Anna, Zofia, Karol, Wiktoria, Feliks Gawrys and Piotr Gawryc, who was present in the Rebis household, were murdered together with the hiding Jews. The Germans robbed the farm.
Jan Rebis stayed outside the house during the German raid. He was warned about the attack and only came to the farm at night. He left the village and hid until the end of the war. Probably one of the hiding Jews also survived.
On the same day a group of Jews staying with Zofia Miela left the hiding place. Eugenia’s granddaughter ran away to her relatives. A few days later the Germans came to Zofia and shot her. The woman was buried by her family on the cemetery in Dobrkow. The Rebis family rested on the same cemetery.
After the Germans murdered his family members, Wladyslaw Rebis was repressed.He was imprisoned and subjected to brutal interrogations.
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