Wawrzyniec and Julia Kocoń lived in the village of Zieleniów (Stanisławowska province) during the occupation. Today these regions belong to Ukraine. Thanks to their effort, three people of Jewish origin were saved. Tinka and Fiszel Kornweitz lived with Wiki Wilberg-Hudel’s mother in Brzeżany (Tarnopole province). The married couple dealt in itinerant trade and knew lots of people from neighbouring villages, such as: Wawrzyniec Kocoń. When German soldiers entered the area and the oppression of Jews begun. The Kornweitz family fled to the forest and hid in the hut. When it got cold, they moved to a part of the forest belonging to the Kocoń. One day, one of their daughters came upon them in the woods. Jewish family said that they knew her father and asked her to bring him to them. Wawrzyniec immediately took them in, feed them and gave first aid. They were all hidden in the barn. Wawrzyniec prepared them a hideout in the stables. He dug a basement there. Entrance to it was located beneath the through inside the cows stall. Tinka, Fiszla and Wiki were moved there.

It didn’t go without any life endangering situations. One day, a group of SS-mans with dog showed up at their farm. Julia and Wawrzyniec were terrified. It turned out that someone in the nearby town stole a car. Germans drove from one farm to another and looked for the matching shoe soles. They compared them with the prints found at the crime scene. Fortunately, the hideout was masked so well that the dogs didn’t find anything and the Germans went to check other farms.

The Kornweitzers survived and were liberated in Zieleniów. Later they emigrated to Israel. After a few years they found Kocońs, who already lived in Poland. They got in touch. For many years they sent them letters full of gratitude and photos of their family.

Bibliography:

  1. FLV, List od Marii Kocoń, Legnica, 06.09.2013 r.
  2. FLV, Nagranie audio, sygn. Kocoń Julia i Wawrzyniec, relacja Marii Kocoń [córka] z 05.09.2013 r.