Szwed Andrzej & Katarzyna ; Son: Władysław ; Son: Tadeusz ; Son: Franciszek ; Son: Józef

File 2270 SZWED, ANDRZEJ SZWED, KATARZYNA SZWED, WŁADYSŁAW SZWED, TADEUSZ SZWED, FRANCISZEK SZWED, JÓZEF Szwed Andrzej and Katarzyna owned a farm in the village of Andresówka, an eight km away from the city of Włodzimierz Wołyński. In late August of 1943, Katarzyna and Andrzej’s son Władysław led out a group of Jews from the local ghetto. The rescued Jews were Malcman (Maltzman)- Wapniarska Maria and her children – Jankiel (also known as- Jacob, William), Regina (later own known as Lazarowicz/ Lazarovitz), and Simon (known as- Szymon) as well as Mrs. Katz (Kac) together with her children: Szlomo (Shlomo) and Ester (Esther). All six were sheltered in a bunker that had been arranged earlier with Mrs. Katz, Shlomo, and Ester’s mother, located on the grounds of the Szweds’ farm. The head of the Szwed family and his sons built the hideout while Katarzyna took care of feeding the hiding Jews. Władysław helped to pass the food through the lid of the hideout. The lid of the hideout also served as a type of air conditioner. On January 1, 1944, Maria’s husband David (known as- Dawid) and his brother, Malcman (Maltzman) Nachum (Nuchim), who had escaped from the ghetto just before the liquidation, joined them in their hideout in Andresówka. Soon afterwards, due to flooding (that was originally caused by melting snow), the bunker was damaged. A new one was constructed and all of the fugitives were forced to move. Afterwards, Andrzej informed the hiding Jews that, unfortunately, Ukrainian nationalists were threatening his family; thus the family moved to the city of Włodzimierz Wołyński. Władysław (the son) was the only one who remained on the farm; where he continued to take care of the fugitives. Later, Andzej came to the farm and offered to take Wapniarski David (Dawid) to the village of Bielin, and to find him a new shelter. Few days later, all the fugitives moved to Bielin. In the spring of 1944, as the war front drew nearer to Bielin, all those inhiding managed to flee across the frontline and to the liberated areas; which were liberated by the Red Army. After the war, the Wapniarski family immigrated to Canada. While, Menachem (Nuchim) Maltzman (Malcman) settled in Israel, as the Kac (Katz) family probably moved to South America. On the 3rd of May 1982, Yad Vashem recognized Szwed Andrzej, his wife, Katarzyna, and their children Władysław, Tadeusz, Franciszek and Józef, as a Righteous Among the Nations.