Haman Michał & Stefania

File 4139 Haman, Stefania Haman, Michał Michał and Stefania Haman lived in Bystrzyce, a remote village in the Carpathian Mountains, not far from the town of Borysław. Michał, a farmer, locksmith, and occasional photographer, frequently visited Borysław, where he became friendly with a number of Jews, including Marek Weingarten, with whom he had business dealings. At the outbreak of war in 1939, the two were recruited into the Polish army, and when the fighting was over, returned home. In 1941, when the Germans occupied the area, Weingarten’s wife gave birth to a baby daughter. Realizing that their lives were in danger, Weingarten and his wife asked Michał to look after their daughter. The Hamans agreed, passed baby Anita (Ania) off as their own daughter, looked after her devotedly, and saw to all her needs. Meanwhile, Weingarten and his wife tried to find a shelter for themselves, but in vain. Both were interned in the Borysław ghetto, and only managed to escape shortly before the liquidation of the ghetto in 1942. Weingarten left first and, with Michał’s help, was followed by his wife. The Hamans hid the Weingartens in a bunker they dug together beneath the floor of a room, whose entrance was camouflaged by furniture. Weingarten and his wife spent most of the day in the room, descending to their gloomy hideout only at night or at times of particular danger. Weingarten’s wife, who had been ill when she arrived, passed away soon after, and was buried by Michał under one of the farm buildings. In risking their lives for the Weingartens, the Hamans were guided by a true friendship, which triumphed over adversity, and was its own reward. Weingarten and his daughter, Anita, stayed with the Hamans until the area was liberated by the Red Army in July 1944, and after the war immigrated to Israel. On May 3, 1989, Yad Vashem recognized Stefania and Michał Haman as Righteous Among the Nations.