Stanisław Boryczka, Zofia Boryczka, Zygmunt Boryczka, Józef Krawczyk, Zofia Krawczyk, Adam Krawczyk
On the 2nd of January 1943 German officers from the station in Lipsk came to Boiska-Kolonia and headed towards the house of the Krawczyk family. Józef Krawczyk (born in 1911, the son of Jan and Krystyna, family name Zychowicz) together with his wife Zofia, née Oleksiak, were running a farm. They had a son Adam (about 8-9 years old). The Germans accused Józef of helping a wounded man of Jewish origin, who was caught when he was hiding near Baranów village. Officers noticed that his leg was professionally dressed and stated that he can’t have done it himself. The Germans made him name the person who had helped him. He named Józef Krawczyk. The officers then killed Józef and his wife Zofia, as well as their son Adam. Their house was robbed and burned.
The next target of the Germans was the house of the Boryczka family. The officers came into Stanisław Boryczka’s house together with the mayor of Boiska, in order to accuse Stanisław’s wife – Zofia – of being a Jew and helping Jews. Indeed, Zofia came from a Jewish family, but as an adult she was baptised and during the occupation she married Stanisław. She was said to be providing Jews with food. She did not admit to it and emphasised that she was a Catholic. But she did not manage to convince the officers. They shot Zofia, her husband Stanisław and their eight-month-old son Zygmunt.
During the raid of German officers, Maria – a twelve-year-old niece of Stanisław – who lived next door, was in the house as well. After it became clear that she was not Boryczka’s daughter, she was allowed to go back home. In this way she managed to survive.
Afterwards, the Germans robbed the house and wanted to burn it. However they abandoned this idea on hosts’ request who were afraid that it could cause fire in the whole village because of the densely situated houses. After that they went to Józef Boryczka’s house – Stanisław’s brother - who was convinced that the officers would kill him as well. The officers informed him that Stanisław could be buried in a Catholic cemetery, but that his wife and son did not have such rights. Eventually, all family members were buried in a collective grave near the farm. After the war, their bodies were transported to the parish cemetery. Some weeks after the officers’ visit, Józef Baryczka, who could not recover both physically and mentally, died in a hospital.
Bibliografia:
2. RFWA, Boryczka, the list of murdered people from Lipski Poviat.
3. RFWA, Krawczyk, a letter from Mirosława Łojek.
4. RFWA, Krawczyk, the list of murdered people from Lipski Poviat.
5. Fajkowski J., Religa J.,1981, Zbrodnie hitlerowskie na wsi polskiej 1939–1945, Warszawa, p. 307.
6. IPN Register, p. 386-387.
7. Krawczyk Józef, Krawczyk Zofia, Krawczyk Adam, [in] www.straty.pl, The personal loss and victims of repression under the German occupation programme (5.05.2015).
8. Namysło A. [Ed.], 2009, Kto w takich czasach Żydów przechowuje?..., Polacy niosący pomoc ludności Żydowskiej w okresie okupacji niemieckiej, The Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation, Warszawa, p. 21-23.
9. Przerwane sąsiedztwo. Stosunki polsko-żydowskie w Lipsku i okolicy we wspomnieniach i opisach, p. 19.
10. Walczak R. [Ed.], 1997, Those Who Helped. Polish Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust, part 3, Warszawa, p. 56, 83.
11. Zajączkowski W., 1988, Martyrs of Charity, Washington D.C., p. 128.
Uwagi:
- Fajkowski J., Religa J.,1981, Zbrodnie hitlerowskie na wsi polskiej 1939–1945, Warszawa, p. 307, Walczak R. [Ed.], 1997, Those Who Helped. Polish Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust, part 3, Warszawa, p. 56, 83 and Zajączkowski W., 1988, Martyrs of Charity, Washington D.C., p. 128 incorrectly use the surname Borycki and son’s name Zbigniew. Mrs Zofia Kozłowska, the mayor of Boiska, confirmed during a telephone call that surname Boryczka is correct.
- In post-war investigative documents, as well as in the literature, Józef Krawczyk is often incorrectly named as Stanisław [after: IPN Register].
