Herr Feliks & Kazimiera (Pieniowska)

File 5081 Herr, Feliks Herr, Kazimiera One day in 1941, most of the Jews living in the village of Hyżne, in the Rzeszów district, were shot to death. The few who escaped were discovered and murdered shortly thereafter. A handful of youngsters who were left alive were employed on the local landowner’s estate. In 1942, they were all shot, except for Herszko Stelzer, who escaped from the massacre. Stelzer made his way to the home of Feliks and Kazimiera Herr, former neighbors of his family, who had adult children. Feliks Herr, who was manager of the local post office, and his wife, who was a teacher, were village dignitaries. At great personal risk, they decided to help their Jewish acquaintance, and sheltered him in the loft of one of the buildings on their small farm. In risking their lives to save their friend, the Herrs were prompted by humanitarian values, a sense of loyalty, and a feeling of obligation toward the victims of the common enemy, and never expected anything in return. Throughout the occupation, the Herrs devotedly looked after Stelzer, whose existence they kept secret even from their children. One day, when a local policeman began suspecting that the Herrs were sheltering a Jew, Stelzer was forced to leave. With his rescuers’ help, a safer hiding place was found for him, where he stayed until the area was liberated in July 1944. A few days before the liberation, the Germans arrested Herr, who was an AK activist, and executed him. After the war, Stelzer immigrated to Israel, where, until his death, he kept up a correspondence with Kazimiera, sent her parcels, and helped her financially whenever he could. On January 22, 1992, Yad Vashem recognized Kazimiera and Feliks Herr as Righteous Among the Nations.