Wuensche Jerzy

Wuensche, Jerzy Jerzy Wuensche lived in Radomsko prior to the war. He was the descendant of a rich German family. His parents were owners of a furniture factory in Radomsko. Jerzy was frequently seen in the company of Polish and Jewish youth. Before the outbreak of the war, he married a Jewish girl from Radomsko and immediately following the outbreak of the war, he moved with his wife to Warsaw. As the son of a German family, he was employed in an office in charge of setting up factories and workshops. As part of his duties, he hired Jews and gave them papers that enabled them to work at other factories in case the factory they were working at was shut down. "If we remind ourselves what work permits meant, we could understand his merits,” wrote Helena Leszczynska. Karol Rogulski wrote: "His friendship and help continued from November 1939 until the middle of 1945. Only thanks to him did we - my wife, my son and I - survive the war." Until October 1942, Karol, his wife Nina and their son, Ryszard, were living in Warsaw ghetto. Jerzy, visited them regularly bringing them food and money that they had previously deposited with him. With his help, they managed to leave the ghetto and hide temporarily in his villa in Mokotow. He hid them for a few months and then found them a place at Zoliborz, which he paid for from his own pocket because the Rogulskis’ funds were depleted. This arrangement lasted until the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944. After the uprising, he took his family and left for the mountains near Zakopane. He persuaded the Rogulskis to join them, and they all spent half a year under one roof, until the liberation. During the war, Jerzy took care of Rogulski’s in-laws as well, but they were unfortunately killed because of an informer. Among the others Jews rescued by Jerzy were Jakub Atlasowicz and his son, Josef. They both worked in one of the Warsaw workshops managed by Jerzy. When the workshop was liquidated, they began working - on Jerzy’s advice - in Oskar Schilling’s shop at 53 Nowolipie Street. From April to July 1943 Jerzy hid Atlasowicz and his son in his apartment. Thirteen other Jews were hiding with the Atlasowiczes in the apartment. Yocheved (Jadzia) Buchman of Radomsko recalled that her own daughter was rescued by Jerzy, who took her to Warsaw and paid for her upkeep. Jerzy also rescued another child, Miriam Zarska (later Feldon), who was the daughter of Ruta, a friend from Radomsko. In 1941, he brought mother and daughter to Warsaw and put them in one of his apartments. Miriam was then transferred to the home of friends while Ruta stayed in the Jerzy's family. Suddenly, blackmailers raided the place and Ruta along with Jerzy's wife’s family, were moved to Hotel Polski, from where they were all taken to Pawiak prison, where the Germans shot most of them. After the war, Mirjam lived with Jerzy’s family in Radomsko for a few months, until her mother’s family was located. During the war, R. Weinstock also used Jerzy’s help. She was hiding in Radomsko along with Jadzia Oberman and Leon Grudman. Days before the liquidation of the Radomsko ghetto in 1942, Jerzy came to Radomsko with Kennkartes for Oberman, Grudman, and Weinstock, who, at that time, could not leave Radomsko. He also brought them money. On December 10, 1972, Yad Vashem recognized Jerzy Wuensche as Righteous Among the Nations.