Portal of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship Local Government - Markowa

Author of the text: Aleksandra Gorzelak – Nieduży

Author of photos: Anna Magda

UWMP press office

The Ulmas are an example to the world. How many people would be willing to take such a risk of death to save another person’s life? To save a man of a different faith, different traditions, different in a cultural sense? How many people would choose to do this today? –These rhetorical questions were asked by the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, in Markowa, during the celebration of the National Day of Remembrance of Poles saving Jews under German occupation.

The 80th anniversary of the death of the Blessed Ulma Family was celebrated in Markowa with solemnity, dignity, in a tone of reflection and religious prayer, among those who take part in cultivating the memory of the Family of Wiktoria and Józef Ulma and their children. On March 24, 1944, they died in Markowa, shot by German Nazis, and it was on this day, on the initiative of President Andrzej Duda, that in 2018 the National Day of Remembrance of Poles saving Jews under German occupation was established.

The Markowski ceremony took place on the memorial square in front of the Museum of Poles Saving Jews in World War II. The Ulma family. Their guest of honor was the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, accompanied by ministers from the Chancellery of the President: Grażyna Ignaczak-Bandych and Piotr Ćwik, as well as the Polish ambassador to the Vatican, Adam Kwiatkowski. Among the several hundred invited guests were clergy – including Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican, Metropolitan Adam Szal of Przemyśl, and the senior archbishop of this diocese, Józef Michalik, as well as the Ordinary of Rzeszów, Jan Wątroba. Present were the Podkarpackie Voivode Teresa Kubas-Hul, the German Consul General in Krakow Holger Mahnicke and members of parliament: Kazimierz Gołojuch and Tadeusz Chrzan, as well as MEP Bogdan Rzońca. Among those participating in the event were local government officials, representatives of the uniformed services and residents of Markowa, whose families helped hide their Jewish neighbors.

The hosts of the ceremony, i.e. the voivodeship government, were represented by: Marshal Władysław Ortyl, deputy marshals Ewa Draus and Piotr Pilch, and board members Anna Huk and Stanisław Kruczek. Voivodeship councilors were present: Joanna Brill, Maria Napieracz and Mieczysław Tołpa.

Welcoming the guests, Marshal Władysław Ortyl reminded about the message that their history conveys today, exactly 80 years after the Ulma tragedy.

80 years ago, a crime took place here in Markowa that should never have happened. In the middle of a cruel war that should never have started. Man stood against man. German soldiers killed a Polish family because they took another family, a Jewish one, under their roof. It was here in Markowa that the blood of innocent people was shed, including children who did not even have time to understand how painful a situation they found themselves in – said the marshal – The law of the fist, the law of force, the law of the rifle, the law of the executioner is only strong for a moment, only temporarily. The law of love always wins. The underlined words in the scripture in the parable of the Good Samaritan tell in the simplest way the meaning of the actions of the Blessed Ulma Family. Over time, the blood shed, death and sacrifice of life became a seed that bears fruit, grows and radiates the Gospel message of love for one’s neighbor. Today we are united by the 80th anniversary of a terrible crime. But we meet to call evil evil, good good, and love love that always wins. As Pope John Paul II wrote, “The future depends on love,” said the Marshal, thanking the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda and Cardinal Marcello Semeraro for their participation in promoting the life testimony of the Blessed Ulma Family.

The Marków celebrations became an opportunity to honor with state awards people particularly involved in cultivating and passing on the memory of the Ulma Family and other Poles who saved Jews during the occupation.

For outstanding achievements in documenting the memory of the sacrifice of the Ulmas and other inhabitants of Markowa and the Łańcut region who risked their lives in a gesture of help, the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta was awarded to the staroste of Łańcut, Adam Krzysztoń. President Andrzej Duda awarded Archbishop Adam Szalai, vice-president of the Institute of National Remembrance, Mateusz Szpytma, with the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta. In turn, the president awarded Cardinal Marcello Semeraro with the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.

For merits in cultivating memory and documenting the truth about the attitudes of Poles during the occupation, the president awarded the postulator of beatification, priest Witold Burda, with the Golden Cross of Merit, and Silver Crosses of Merit were awarded to, among others: the deputy director of the Chancellery of the UMWP Management Board, Rozalia Mazur, the plenipotentiary of the Voivodeship Management Board for beatification, Michał Tabisz, artists: Maria Monikowska- Tabisz and Andrzej Andrejkow and sister Maria Szulikowska, author of the book about Wiktoria Ulma.

Immediately after receiving the awards, the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, in his speech emphasized how great and important the message that comes from the sacrifice of the Victoria and Józef family is.

The Ulmas are an example to the world, and for us Poles they are a great role model and great pride. A proud memory of the extraordinary attitude of Poles at that time, said President Andrzej Duda in Markowa, thanking the parliamentarians who in 2018 kindly accepted the president’s initiative to establish a day of remembrance.

This day of repentance will probably be remembered even by about millions of Poles who at that time in various ways participated in helping the Jews who were then sentenced to extermination by the German Nazis. I always emphasize that there were about a million Poles who helped their Jewish fellow citizens, even though in Poland, like nowhere else in Western Europe, helping Jews was punishable by death. They did it in various ways, often entire chains of people took part in activities to save one person, the president emphasized.

He also added that the Ulma family is an excellent example of such help. He emphasized that despite such a terrible crime that took place in Markowa and which was known to all residents, 21 hidden Jews survived the war here.

Despite fear, in silence and secrecy, with great determination and unimaginable heroism in our times, they risked their lives and the lives of their families to save other people, emphasized the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda, reminding that the passage of time makes it difficult to bear witness.

To honor all heroic Poles, the president laid flowers at the commemorative plaque and at the obelisk commemorating the Ulma family. The ceremony ended with the moving sound of the trumpet and “Kaddish” and “Silence” performed on it by Gary Guthman.

After the ceremony in front of the museum, for Poles who saved Jews during World War II, in the church of St. Dorota in Markowa, a solemn mass was celebrated.

Just before the mass, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, who concelebrated the Eucharist, blessed palm trees in front of the church, as the 80th anniversary of the death of the Ulma family coincided with the celebration of Palm Sunday.

An important element of the Remembrance Day was the ceremonial laying of flowers on the graves of Markowa residents who hid Jews during the war. Members of the Chancellery of the President laid wreaths on behalf of the President of the Republic of Poland, and Robert Godek, director of the Department of Culture and National Heritage of the UMWP, accompanied by employees of the Chancellery of the Voivodeship Board, laid wreaths on behalf of the Voivodeship Marshal.