Świerczyński Bernard

Świerczyński, Bernad-Konard When the war broke out, Bernard-Konrad (Kundek) Świerczyński was 16. He was living with his parents in Warsaw and was brought up in an atmosphere of secular humanism. Thus, it was not surprising that he was actively helping Jews from the very first days of the German occupation. Świerczyński helped his neighbors and constantly visited them in the ghetto, especially the Goldberg family, as he had been friendly with their daughter, Halina, ever since childhood. Upon the first Aktion in the summer of 1942, Kundek helped Halina escape from the ghetto and brought her to the home of Professor Langiewicz*. His parents’ apartment was located close to the exit of the ghetto and therefore served as a point of transfer and the first place of shelter for many Jewish friends of the family. The apartment became the first shelter for Pawel Lew Marek, his wife, Karolina, and her mother, Fryda Hofman, as well as for Bronka Frydman, Jan Rogalski and his wife and his sister, Felicja Grossman, Dr. Aleksander Wolberg, Roza Rosenberg and many others. When the situation became dangerous, Kundek rented another room in the same building and more fugitives were taken in. Before the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944, Kundek was in touch with many Jews and he visited them in many places, bringing them emergency supplies and helping to escort them through the city. After the Warsaw Uprising, Kundek helped arrange a bunker where 40 Jews found shelter, among them two from Greece. "Only after there was enough water, food and supplies in the bunker did Kundek (along with Halina) leave Warsaw,” Wrote Pawel Lew Marek. On January 30, 1972, Yad Vashem recognized Bernard-Konrad Świerczyński, as Righteous Among the Nations. File 684