Czepieluk Ludwik & Maria ; Daughter: Dawt Katarzyna (Czepieluk)

Czepieluk, Ludwik Czepieluk, Maria Dawt-Czepieluk, Katarzyna In 1939, when the Germans occupied Kraków, Irena Panzer fled to Lwów, where she worked as a gym teacher, while continuing her studies in biology, which had been interrupted by the war. In 1941, when war broke out between Germany and the Soviet Union, Panzer fled to Tarnopol, where she found work as a nurse in a military hospital. While working, Panzer was taken ill, and after her recovery, decided to move back to Lwów, to the ghetto, which had since been established. When Maria Czepieluk, a colleague of hers, heard of her plans, she invited Panzer to stay with her, her husband Ludwik and her ten-year-old daughter, Katarzyna. The Czepieluks, who were simple peasants, were impressed by Panzer’s education, and gave her the respect they thought was her due. Although she was introduced as a relative, Panzer felt it safer not to leave the house. Rather than remain idle, however, she organized secret classes at home for the local children, including little Katarzyna. In time, Panzer was ordered to report to the labor office, which found her a job as an accountant in a local finance bureau. Since the Czepieluks were hard up, Panzer, with her employer’s consent, moved to the town of Zborów, where she continued working as an accountant, and gave private lessons to Polish children. Throughout this period, Panzer kept up contact with the Czepieliuks, whose visits helped substantiate her “Aryan” origins. In due course, Czepieluk provided her with a false identity card, whose official stamp was skillfully forged by Maria’s daughter, Katarzyna. The Czepieluks, guided by a selfless humanity and compassion, continued to help Panzer until the area was liberated in 1944. After the war, Panzer stayed in Poland, where she kept up close ties with her benefactors, helping them out whenever she could, until their death. On January 2, 1995, Yad Vashem recognized Ludwik Czepieluk, his wife, Maria Czepieluk and their daughter, Katarzyna Dawt-Czepieluk, as Righteous Among the Nations. File 6424