Sandner Henryk & Teodozja

File 4179 Sandner, Henryk Sandner, Teodozja In the autumn of 1942, after the large deportation from the Warsaw ghetto, Ela (Gilta) and Władysław (Gucio) Sher (Szer) fled to the Aryan side of the city, equipped with “Aryan” documents. After finding temporary accommodation with a Polish family, they continued searching for a safer hiding place outside the city. After a Polish acquaintance gave them the address of Henryk and Teodozja Sandner, the Shers proposed that the Sandners share an apartment with them outside the city. The Sandners agreed and rented an apartment in Podkowa Leśna, not far from Warsaw, and the two families moved in. Although the financial arrangements were flexible, it was clear that the refugees would bear the brunt of the expenses. The Shers, fearing discovery, never left the house, while the Sandners saw to all their needs. In times of emergency, when the Germans searched for underground activists, the Shers hid in an underground shelter, which had been specially prepared under the house for this purpose. Their communal life and common fate brought the two families together, and they became close friends. The Shers lived with the Sandners from April 1943 until January 1945, when the area was liberated. After the war, the Shers resettled in Australia and the two families kept up ties for many years. On December 14, 1989, Yad Vashem recognized Teodozja and Henryk Sandner as Righteous Among the Nations.