Czerniewicz Franciszka (Nalepa)

Czerniewicz-Nalepa, Franciszka In October 1942, Max Czerniewicz escaped from the Krakow ghetto and made his way to the only address he had – that of Franciszka Nalepa, a poor washerwoman, who had worked for him before the war. Nalepa offered Czerniewicz shelter in her humble abode in the city suburb, and, for two years, shared with him her hard-earned bread, and kept his presence hidden from neighbors and family alike. In risking her life for Czerniewicz, Nalepa was guided by humanitarian considerations only. The hardships Nalepa and Czerniewicz shared during the occupation brought them close and in 1945, immediately after the area was liberated, they married. On October 25, 1984, Yad Vashem recognized Franciszka Czerniewicz-Nalepa as Righteous Among the Nations.