Bartczak Marian & Helena

File 3184 Bartczak, Marian Bartczak, Helena Marian and Helena Bartczak, a married couple, moved to Warsaw after their expulsion by the Germans from their hometown, Gdynia. One day, a Jewish acquaintance of Marian’s, a lawyer named Marek Kleiner(-Grabowski), appealed to him for help. Marian complied with the request: he obtained forged “Aryan” documents for Marek, rented an apartment for him, and supported him financially. At the end of 1941, Marian traveled to Lwów to search for Marek’s family. There he became acquainted with a Jewish couple, Dienstag Psachja and Irena (primo voto- Dienstag; secundo voto- Jabłonka; née: Nachbin), whom he promised to help in case of need. In May 1942, after her husband had been murdered in the Janowska camp, Irena recalled Marian’s promise and appealed to him for assistance. Marian traveled to Lwów and brought Irena back to Warsaw, where he obtained a forged identity card for her and offered her refuge in his apartment. Irena looked after the Bartczak’s daughter and taught her privately. She remained in the apartment until the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944, after which she was deported together with the other Polish inhabitants of Warsaw to the Pruszków camp; she managed to flee the camp and remained in the town of Podkowa-Leśna until the liberation of the area by the Red Army. After the war, Irena immigrated to Israel. The Bartczaks’ were also instrumental in saving a 12-year-old Jewish girl from Lwów, named Lusia – later on known as Mileszczuk Ludwika – who remained in Poland after the war. In addition, they assisted a Jewish goldsmith named Razun (/ or Rozun) also from the city of Lwów; as well as provided help to an old friend of Mr. Bartczak (also from the city of Gdańsk)- Dr. Kowacki Henryk. Furthermore, they have provided assistance to a Jewish couple named Kaizers’-Kajtecks’. The Bartczak couple, was fully aware of the danger of their actions, but asked for nothing in return. On the 14th of April1985, Yad Vashem recognized Bartczak Marian and Helena, as Righteous Among the Nations.