‘I place myself in your hands and conscience’ – summary of the project on the Righteous Among the Nations from Mszana

Fourteen years of advocating for remembrance, nine months of the latest project, two commemorations in the Market Square, several press articles, preparation of a biography in the Great Book of Limanowa Residents, dozens of meetings with young people, four town events, a rally in the footsteps of the Righteous, a literary and art competition – is this enough for the Righteous Among the Nations from Mszana, Stefania and Józef Wacławik, to take their rightful place in the consciousness of the residents of their town?

On 21st November 2025, our Foundation summarised the project ‘I place myself in your hands and conscience’, dedicated to the memory of the still little-known local Righteous.

The current edition of the project lasted several months, but we have been striving for this memory, or rather its reception in our community, for many years. Because it still hurts, it still bothers us – as evidenced by the theft in 2024 of the first of the plaques commemorating these extraordinary, yet simple farmers from Mała Góra, who saved Mosze Jered, a man they had never met before. We made sure that in 2025, another plaque was erected in the Market Square, telling more about their shared history, bilingual, so that visitors to Mszana and foreign guests could also learn about it.

A total of 645 residents took part in all of this year's events: the ceremonial unveiling of the second plaque, meetings in the parish, schools in the town and municipality of Mszana Dolna, and a rally following in the footsteps of the Righteous and the survivor. We distributed several hundred brochures about the Righteous. A group of young people from local schools took part in a literary and art competition.

During the summary, we presented them with diplomas and awards, and read excerpts from their beautiful and insightful works. As one of the participants commented: ‘After what we have heard here, we can say that our young people are not as bad as we sometimes hear.’

We named this edition of the project ‘I place myself in your hands and conscience’ – after the dramatic words of a fugitive from a labour camp who, on 19 August 1942, lost his wife and young daughter in a mass execution at Pańskie, and who, distraught and exhausted from working in a quarry, escaped and knocked on the Wacławik family's door ‘on a dark, rainy night’. We hope that this knowledge, entrusted to the hands and conscience of today's residents, will bear fruit.

The project was implemented with the financial support of the Małopolska Province.

The event was held under the honorary patronage of Łukasz Smółka, Marshal of the Małopolska Province.

The project was held under the honorary patronage of Agnieszka Orzeł, Mayor of the City.