Antonina Wyrzykowska provided sanctuary to Jewish individuals on her farm near Łomża for over two years during the Nazi occupation of Poland. A farmer by trade, she operated in a high-risk environment, utilizing gasoline to obscure the scent of those she sheltered from German tracker dogs while actively smuggling provisions into the Łomża Ghetto.
Wartime Actions and Resistance
Born in 1916 in Jedwabne, Wyrzykowska utilized her position as a rural farmer to conduct clandestine aid operations. Beyond the long-term housing of several individuals on her property, she maintained a presence within the ghetto system by transporting supplies to the Łomża Ghetto. To blend into the restricted environment during these efforts, she wore the mandated yellow badge.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Post-War Conflict and Retribution
The end of the war did not bring peace for Wyrzykowska, as she faced physical violence from members of the Home Army. This hostility stemmed from her actions in protecting Jewish neighbors. The intimidation was persistent enough that, in 2001, she felt unable to attend the unveiling of the monument dedicated to the victims of the Jedwabne pogrom, as the perpetrators of the earlier assaults remained in her vicinity.
Official Recognition
Historian Jan Grabowski documented her experience as a representative case of the retribution directed toward those who assisted Jewish citizens. Her contributions were formally acknowledged in 1976 when she and her husband, Aleksander Wyrzykowski, were named Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem. Later, President Lech Kaczyński conferred upon her the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. She died in Milanówek in 2011 at the age of 95.
Fast facts
- Born: 1916, Jedwabne
- Died: 2011, Milanówek
- Occupation: Farmer
- Citizenship: Poland
- Languages: Polish
- Religion: Catholic Church
- Award: Righteous Among the Nations (1976)
- Award: Commander of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Questions readers ask
How did Wyrzykowska protect the people she sheltered?
She hid several individuals on her farm for over two years and used gasoline to mask their scent from German tracker dogs.
Why did she avoid the 2001 Jedwabne monument unveiling?
She feared retaliation from members of the Home Army who had assaulted her after the war and still resided in the area.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 1976
- Commander of the Order of Polonia Restituta
- Worked as farmer
