Irena Sendler
Irena Sendler
Irena Sendler was born on February 15, 1910 in Warsaw, Poland. Her father whom was a physician that died when she was 7. His dying words set forth the motivation and determination in her to help others in need for the rest of her life.
Irena is credited with saving the lives of 2,500 Jewish children with the group Zegota. She herself is credited with personally saving 400 of them. She would hide them in small gunny sacks or in other small bags or boxes. Many times she had to bride the Nazi guards.
She was captured by the Nazis and was brutally tortured, but refused to give up her partners in Zegota. She was eventually sentenced to death but was rescued just before she was executed by firing squad. After her escape she went into hiding for the rest of the war, but continued to work under a false name.
She was awarded the Order of the White Eagle, as well as many other titles of peace, but was unable to receive it until much later because the Communist party mistrusted her for previous alliances. She was not allowed to leave the country until their fall.
She lived in Warsaw for the rest of her life, and died on May 12, 2008.
Impact of Irena Sendler's contributions
Elzbieta Ficowska
She was one of the children that Irena saved. She was only 6 months old before being smuggled out. She did not know she was Jewish until her adoptive mother was on her deathbed. Her whole existence was written on a silver spoon, and that's all she had of her Jewish family.
Michael Glowinski
He was also saved by Irena, but he knew he was Jewish. He was 6 at the time he was saved. But he loved his adoptive family, saying that saved his life. He grew up to become a Professor of Literature and wrote a memoir, The Black Season.
Books about Irena
Musuem about Irena Sendler
