Paulinów (Sterdyń) |

Commemorated

Jews who received help

Aleksandra Wiktorzak
Zygmunt Uziębło
Jan Siwiński
Stanisław Piwko
Marian Nowicki
Stanisław Kotowski
Józef Kotowski
Ewa Kotowska
Franciszek Kierylak
Zygmunt Drgas
Franciszek Augustyniak

Jews who received help

Szlojme Ruskielenke
Szymel Ruskielenke
a man by the name of Aron
a man by the name of Ankiel
and a few people unknown by name and surname

Manhunt in Paulinów

Jews who had escaped from the ghetto in Sterdyń were hiding in the forest. They were helped by the residents of two villages: Paulinów and Stary Ratyniec. They provided food, clothes, straw to insulate hiding places, and temporary accommodation.

The Germans placed their agent among the Jews, who claimed to be a fugitive from Treblinka. It was he who later indicated who had helped him. The Germans first shot the keeper of the manor, Franciszek Kierylak, who had allowed the escapees to stay overnight in the buildings. Other worker – Franciszek Augustyniak, as well as Jan Siwiński and Aleksandra Wiktorzak – were murdered by the brickyard. Józef and Ewa Kotowski died on the doorstep of their own home. Their son Stanisław, who had been providing food to his friends from before the war, was shot in the forest along with Stanisław Piwko, Zygmunt Drgas, Marian Nowicki and Zygmunt Uziębło.

During the manhunt on the night of 23 February 1943, the Germans murdered a total of eleven Poles.

REGINA AND FRANCISZEK AUGUSTYNIAK had a ten-year-old son, Jan Ludwik. Their second son, Henryk, was born six months after the Germans killed Franciszek for having helped Jews.
HENRYK AUGUSTYNIAK was born barely six months after his father, FRANCISZEK AUGUSTYNIAK, was killed by the Germans during a roundup in Paulinów. After the war, he finished school in Sokołów Podlaski, married and had two children. He worked as a driver throughout his whole life. He died in 2018.
A pre-war photo of the Kotowski family. The first from the left is the Kotowskis’ son, Stanisław, next to him is the second son, Władysław. The third son, Czesław, is sitting on the left (with violin). Next to Czesław is Ewa Kotowska (looking at the child). To the right of Ewa is her daughter Krystyna (Krystyna is holding her son, Bogdan). To the right of Krystyna is Józef Kotowski. In front of Józef is Krystyna (girl in white clothes, Krystyna’s daughter). Behind Ewa, Krystyna and Józef is the daughter Anna.
STANISŁAW PIWKO gave bread to the Jews. An agent among them saw this and informed the Germans, who organized a manhunt in Paulinów and Stary Ratyniec.
CZESŁAW KOTOWSKI (playing the fiddle), son of the murdered JÓZEF and EWA KOTOWSKI, with his son ANTONI KOTOWSKI (playing the accordion), grandson of the victims. Sitting on the chair is EDMUND KOTOWSKI, also a grandson of the victims. Post-war photograph.
JAN AUGUSTYNIAK (first from the left), son of the murdered FRANCISZEK AUGUSTYNIAK, with friends.
The commemoration in Sterdyń, 22 March 2020.
The commemoration in Sterdyń, 22 March 2020.
The commemoration in Sterdyń, 22 March 2020.
The commemoration in Sterdyń, 22 March 2020.
The commemoration in Sterdyń, 22 March 2020.