Commemorating the Righteous Among the Nations, Stefania and Józef Wacławik, with a plaque on the Market Square in Mszana Dolna

On 24.03.2025, on the National Day of Remembrance of Poles who rescued Jews under the Nazi occupation, at high noon, we unveiled a plaque in the Mszana Market Square dedicated to the Righteous from our town, Stefania and Józef Wacławik.

In this way, we honoured the memory of two Mszana Dolna residents who did not refuse to help a previously unknown man, an escapee from the Holocaust, who knocked on their door.

The ceremony, which brought together numerous participants (including young people from 3 Mszana schools) began with the melody ‘Nearer, my God, to Thee’, played on trumpets by ZSTI students.

Afterwards, the project's initiator, Urszula Antosz-Rekucka, together with Ewa Poray-Zbrożek, the town's secretary, unveiled a plaque informing about the heroic deed of Mr and Mrs Wacławik and the story of Moshe Jered, who was saved by them.

Those gathered also listened to a short speech about this little-known but beautiful story.

The rescued man was a Polish patriot of Jewish origin, who fought to defend his homeland in the September campaign. He lost his beloved wife and little daughter, Ilka, in a mass execution on Pańskie on 19.08.1942. He himself was sent to slave labour in a quarry and, after escaping from there, he came to the poor cottage of the Wacławik family. He lived there with them for almost 3 long occupation years.

"Stefania and Józef Wacławik, Righteous Among the Nations, are a model of indifference, love of neighbour and heroic fidelity to the Gospel. A model of patriotism which does not exclude, but unites all Poles, regardless of their religion. A model of humanity, sensitive to the needs of others. Honour their memory!" - resounded in the conclusion.

After the ceremony in the Market Square, a group of participants, led by the Rifleman Unit at the Technical and Information Technology School Complex, went to the cemetery to light candles and say a prayer at the humble grave of the Righteous.

Our sincere thanks go to all the participants in the commemoration, especially to the numerous delegations from both primary schools and the Technical and Information Technology School Complex, with the principals: Bogusława Cieżak, Stanisława Łabuz and Andrzej Dębski. The delegation of municipal and communal authorities, the ‘Strzelec’ [Gunman] with their commanders: Bogdan Schmidt and Przemysław Małysz. Ms Aneta Mazgaj, Director of the Municipal Library. The town's residents.

Special thanks to Jakub Antosz-Rekucki for preparing the English version of the text for the plaque and for editing and proofreading the whole.

The plaque was founded by the Sztetl Mszana Dolna Foundation, which also came up with the initiative to commemorate it again (last year vandals destroyed and stole the 2022 stone plaque).

Under the Honorary Patronage of the Town Mayor, Agnieszka Orzeł
Photo: Rachela Antosz-Rekucka, Marek Rekucki, Agnieszka Józefiak-Lewandowska, UM