Kruszelnicka Maria (Młynek); Son: Kruszelnicki Czesław

Kruszelnicka Maria Kruszelnicki Czesław Maria Kruszelnicka, living in the city of Kołomyja (Stanisławów District, today in the Ukraine), knew the Feuerstein family ever since the city had come under Soviet rule (1939-1941) and they had to vacate their home and rent rooms in her apartment. At that time, a friendship developed between Maria’s son, Czesław, and Mira, the daughter of the Feuersteins, who were then in their teens. The friendship later developed into a romance. The tie between the two families continued also after the German occupation of the city. When the Feuersteins were forced to move to the ghetto, Maria would periodically visit them and bring them food. After the killing operation of September 1942, only Mira was left alive from all her family. Mira wandered from house to house, without any support, trying to survive. Finally she too was caught by the Germans and held in the small area of the ghetto with thousands of other children under strict guard. Czesław then made a visit to the ghetto to bring her something to eat and convinced her to make an attempt at escaping. After she managed to escape from the ghetto, Czesław brought her to his home where, together with his mother, he prepared a hiding place for her. She stayed there for a year and a half. After the liberation in the spring of 1944, Czesław married Mira. On June 10, 2001, Yad Vashem recognized Czesław Kruszelnicki and his mother, Maria Kruszelnicka, as Righteous Among the Nations. File: 9366