beatification date

13.06.1999more on
www.swzygmunt.knc.pl
[access: 2013.05.19]

John Paul IImore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2014.09.21]

function

laybrother

creed

Latin (Roman Catholic) Churchmore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2014.09.21]

congregation

Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans, Minorites - OFM)more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2013.05.19]

diocese / province

Angelic Blessed Mary province OFMmore on
pl.wikipedia.org
[access: 2014.08.18]

date and place
of death

18.05.1942

TA HartheimSchloss Hartheim „euthanasia” center
today: Alkoven, Eferding dist., Salzburg state, Austria
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.07.18]

alt. dates and places
of death

22.06.1942 (KL Dachau „death certificate” date)

details of death

cause of death

extermination: exhaustion and starvation

perpetrators

Germans

date and place
of birth

04.03.1884

Kościelec-Chrzanówtoday: Chrzanów gm., Chrzanów pov., Lesser Poland voiv., Poland

religious vows

16.09.1921 (temporary)
04.10.1924 (permanent)

positions held

biography (own resources)

Click to read biography details from our resources

others related
in death

KOMARClick to display biography Stanislaus, KONIECZNYClick to display biography Julian, KOTLICKIClick to display biography Ignatius, KOTTClick to display biography Valentine, KOWALEWSKIClick to display biography Stanislaus, KOWALSKIClick to display biography John (Abp Mary Michael), KOWNACKIClick to display biography Martin Stanislaus, KOZANECKIClick to display biography Adam, KOŹBIAŁClick to display biography Michael, KRAWCZYŃSKIClick to display biography Roman, KROPLEWSKIClick to display biography Albin John, KRUKOWSKIClick to display biography Joseph, KRUPCZYŃSKIClick to display biography Casimir Stanislaus, KUBIŃSKIClick to display biography Stanislaus, KUKLAClick to display biography Stanislaus, KULIŃSKIClick to display biography Steven, KUTZNERClick to display biography Leo, KWAŚKIEWICZClick to display biography Leo Henry, KWIATKOWSKIClick to display biography Boleslaus, LEWANDOWSKIClick to display biography Francis, LUDWICZAKClick to display biography Anthony John, LUDWIKClick to display biography Joseph, LUDWIKIEWICZClick to display biography Steven Ignatius, ŁABENTOWICZClick to display biography Sigismund Peter, ŁASZKIEWICZClick to display biography Stanislaus, MAJKOWSKIClick to display biography Hillary, MAKOWSKIClick to display biography Alexander, MARUSARZClick to display biography Stanislaus, MATEUSZCZYKClick to display biography Theodore, MAZALONClick to display biography Benjamin Louis, MICHALEWSKIClick to display biography John, MICKIEWICZClick to display biography Leo, MIJAKOWSKIClick to display biography Bogdan Joseph, MOKSClick to display biography Steven Andrew, MOSZCZEŃSKIClick to display biography Stanislaus, MREŁAClick to display biography Francis Xavier (Fr Sigismund), MŚCICHOWSKIClick to display biography Anthony, MULLERClick to display biography Joseph Stanislaus Kostka, MUSZYŃSKIClick to display biography Sigismund, NAPIERAŁAClick to display biography Francis, NIEDZIELAClick to display biography Joseph, NITECKIClick to display biography Anthony, NOAKClick to display biography Theodore, NOWAKClick to display biography Vincent, NOWICKIClick to display biography Felician, NOWICKIClick to display biography Joseph Henry, OGŁAZAClick to display biography Joseph Stanislaus, ORYNTClick to display biography Peter, OSIŃSKIClick to display biography Henry, PABICHClick to display biography Stanislaus, PACEWSKIClick to display biography Anthony

murder sites
camp 
(+ prisoner no)

TA Hartheim: In Germ. Tötungsanstalt TA Hartheim (Eng. Killing/Euthanasia Center), in Schloss Hartheim castle in Alkoven village in Upper Austria, belonging to KL Mauthausen–Gusen complex of concentration camps, as part of „Aktion T4”, the victims — underdeveloped mentally — were murdered by Germans in gas chambers. In 04.1941 Germans expanded the program to include prisoners held in concentration camps. Most if not all religious from KL Dachau were taken to Hartheim in so called „transports of invalids” (denoted as „Aktion 14 f 13”) — prisoners sick and according to German standards „unable to work” — from KL Dachau concentration camp (initially under the guise of a transfer to a „better” camp).
Note: The dates of death of victims murdered in Schloss Hartheim indicated in the „White Book” are the dates of deportations from the last concentration camp the victims where held in. The real dates of death are unknown — apart from c. 49 priests whose names were included in the „transports of invalids”, but who did arrive at TA Hartheim. Prob. perished on the day of transport, somewhere between KL Dachau and Munich, and their bodies were thrown out of the transport and cremated in Munich. The investigation conducted by Polish Institute of National Remembrance IPN concluded, that the other victims were murdered immediately upon arrival in Schloss Hartheim, bodies cremated and the ashes spread over local fields and into Danube river. In order to hide details of the genocided Germans falsified both dates of death (for instance those entered into KL Dachau concentration camp books, presented in „White Book” as alternative dates of death) and their causes. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2019.05.30])

Aktion T4: German euthanasia program, systematic murder of people mentally retarded, chronically, mentally and neurologically ill — „elimination of live not worth living” (Germ. „Vernichtung von lebensunwertem Leben”). In a peak, in 1940‑1, c. 70,000 people were murdered, including patients of psychiatric hospitals in German occupied Poland. From 04.1941 also mentally ill and „disabled” (i.e. unable to work) prisoners held in German concentration camps were included in the program — denoted then as „Aktion 14 f 13”. C. 20,000 inmates were then murdered, including Polish catholic priests held in KL Dachau concentration camp, who were murdered in Hartheim gas chambers. The other „regional extension” of Aktion T4 was „Aktion Brandt” program during which Germans murdered chronically ill patients in order to make space for wounded soldiers. It is estimated that at least 30,000 were murdered in this program. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2014.10.31])

KL Dachau (prisoner no: 22618Click to display biography): KL Dachau in German Bavaria, set up in 1933, became the main concentration camp for Catholic priests and religious during World War II: On c. 09.11.1940, Reichsführer–SS Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, Gestapo and German police, as a result of the Vatican's intervention, decided to transfer all clergymen detained in various concentration camps to KL Dachau camp. The first major transports took place on 08.12.1940. In KL Dachau Germans held approx. 3,000 priests, including 1,800 Poles. The priests were forced to slave labor in the Germ. „Die Plantage” — the largest herb garden in Europe, managed by the genocidal SS, consisting of many greenhouses, laboratory buildings and arable land, where experiments with new natural medicines were conducted — for many hours, without breaks, without protective clothing, no food. They slaved in construction, e.g. of camp's crematorium. In the barracks ruled hunger, freezing cold in the winter and suffocating heat during the summer. Prisoners suffered from bouts of illnesses, including tuberculosis. Many were victims of murderous „medical experiments” — in 11.1942 c. 20 were given phlegmon injections; in 07.1942 to 05.1944 c. 120 were used by for malaria experiments. More than 750 Polish clerics where murdered by the Germans, some brought to Schloss Hartheim euthanasia centre and murdered in gas chambers. At its peak KL Dachau concentration camps’ system had nearly 100 slave labour sub–camps located throughout southern Germany and Austria. There were c. 32,000 documented deaths at the camp, and thousands perished without a trace. C. 10,000 of the 30,000 inmates were found sick at the time of liberation, on 29.04.1945, by the USA troops… (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2016.05.30])

KL Sachsenhausen (prisoner no: 030000): In KL Sachsenhausen concentration camp, set up in the former Olympic village in 07.1936, hundreds of Polish priests were held in 1940, before being transported to KL Dachau. Some of them perished in KL Sachsenhausen. Murderous medical experiments on prisoners were carried out in the camp. In 1942‑4 c. 140 prisoners slaved at manufacturing false British pounds, passports, visas, stamps and other documents. Other prisoners also had to do slave work, for Heinkel aircraft manufacturer, AEG and Siemens among others. On average c. 50,000 prisoners were held at any time. Altogether more than 200,000 inmates were in jailed in KL Sachsenhausen and its branched, out of which tens of thousands perished. Prior to Russian arrival mass evacuation was ordered by the Germans and c. 80,000 prisoners were marched west in so‑called „death marches” to other camps, i.e. KL Mauthausen–Gusen and KL Bergen–Belsen. The camp got liberated on 22.04.1945. After end of armed hostilities Germans set up there secret camp for German prisoners and „suspicious” Russian soldiers. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2018.11.18])

Szczeglin: Transit and labour camp, operational from 01.10.1939 till 15.09.1940. Germans kept there approx. 4,600 Poles before transporting them to concentration camps. Among others on 29.08.1940 Germans sent from Szczeglin 188 Polish priests to KL Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Approx. 150 of those held in Szczeglin were murdered — some in the camp itself, the others in an execution site in Świerkowice forest. (more on: www.dsh.waw.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.06.23])

26.08.1940 arrests (Warthegau): As part of strategy formulated by the Gaulaiter of German‑occupied Wartheland, Artur Greiser, implementing „Ohne Gott, ohne Religion, ohne Priesters und Sakramenten” — „without God, without religion, without priest and sacrament” — policy, hundreds of Polish priests were arrested on this day. They were jailed, together with priests arrested previously and held in Ląd on Warta river camp, among others, in Szczeglin transit camp n. Mogilno. Three days later all were transferred to KL Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

Ribbentrop-Molotov: Genocidal Russian–German alliance pact between Russian leader Joseph Stalin and German leader Adolf Hitler signed on 23.08.1939 in Moscow by respective foreign ministers, Mr. Vyacheslav Molotov for Russia and Joachim von Ribbentrop for Germany. The pact sanctioned and was the direct cause of joint Russian and German invasion of Poland and the outbreak of the World War II in 09.1939. In a political sense, the pact was an attempt to restore the status quo ante before 1914, with one exception, namely the „commercial” exchange of the so–called „Kingdom of Poland”, which in 1914 was part of the Russian Empire, fore Eastern Galicia (today's western Ukraine), in 1914 belonging to the Austro–Hungarian Empire. Galicia, including Lviv, was to be taken over by the Russians, the „Kingdom of Poland” — under the name of the General Governorate — Germany. The resultant „war was one of the greatest calamities and dramas of humanity in history, for two atheistic and anti–Christian ideologies — national and international socialism — rejected God and His fifth Decalogue commandment: Thou shall not kill!” (Abp Stanislaus Gądecki, 01.09.2019). The decisions taken — backed up by the betrayal of the formal allies of Poland, France and Germany, which on 12.09.1939, at a joint conference in Abbeville, decided not to provide aid to attacked Poland and not to take military action against Germany (a clear breach of treaty obligations with Poland) — were on 28.09.1939 slightly altered and made more precise when a treaty on „German–Russian boundaries and friendship” was agreed by the same murderous signatories. One of its findings was establishment of spheres of influence in Central and Eastern Europe and in consequence IV partition of Poland. In one of its secret annexes agreed, that: „the Signatories will not tolerate on its respective territories any Polish propaganda that affects the territory of the other Side. On their respective territories they will suppress all such propaganda and inform each other of the measures taken to accomplish it”. The agreements resulted in a series of meeting between two genocidal organization representing both sides — German Gestapo and Russian NKVD when coordination of efforts to exterminate Polish intelligentsia and Polish leading classes (in Germany called Intelligenzaktion, in Russia took the form of Katyń massacres) where discussed. Resulted in deaths of hundreds of thousands of Polish intelligentsia, including thousands of priests presented here, and tens of millions of ordinary people,. The results of this Russian–German pact lasted till 1989 and are still in evidence even today. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2015.09.30])

Pius XI's encyclicals: Facing the creation of two totalitarian systems in Europe, which seemed to compete with each other, though there were more similarities than contradictions between them, Pope Pius XI issued in 03.1937 (within 5 days) two encyclicals. In the „Mit brennender Sorge” (Eng. „With Burning Concern”) published on 14.03.1938, condemned the national socialism prevailing in Germany. The Pope wrote: „Whoever, following the old Germanic–pre–Christian beliefs, puts various impersonal fate in the place of a personal God, denies the wisdom of God and Providence [...], whoever exalts earthly values: race or nation, or state, or state system, representatives of state power or other fundamental values of human society, […] and makes them the highest standard of all values, including religious ones, and idolizes them, this one […] is far from true faith in God and from a worldview corresponding to such faith”. On 19.03.1937, published „Divini Redemptoris” (Eng. „Divine Redeemer”), in which criticized Russian communism, dialectical materialism and the class struggle theory. The Pope wrote: „Communism deprives man of freedom, and therefore the spiritual basis of all life norms. It deprives the human person of all his dignity and any moral support with which he could resist the onslaught of blind passions [...] This is the new gospel that Bolshevik and godless communism preaches as a message of salvation and redemption of humanity”... Pius XI demanded that the established human law be subjected to the natural law of God , recommended the implementation of the ideal of a Christian state and society, and called on Catholics to resist. Two years later, National Socialist Germany and Communist Russia came together and started World War II. (more on: www.vatican.vaClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2023.05.28])

sources

personal:
pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2014.09.21], www.ipgs.usClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2012.11.23], arolsen-archives.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2019.05.30]
bibliograhical:, „A martyrology of Polish clergy under German occupation, 1939‑45”, Fr Szołdrski Vladislaus CSSR, Rome 1965, Ms Monika Liebscher, niem. Gedenkstätte und Museum Sachsenhausen (Eng. Memorial and Museum Sachsenhausen), private correspondence, 08.07.2020,
original images:
prawy.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2019.04.16], www.swietyjozef.kalisz.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2019.04.16], ofm.krakow.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.12.04], ofm.krakow.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.12.04], www.franciszkanie-bronowice.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2021.12.19], commons.wikimedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2019.04.16], ofm.krakow.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.12.04], pomniki.wloclawek.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2018.11.18], strzelno.bloog.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2014.01.06], www.miejscapamiecinarodowej.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2014.08.18], www.szczecin.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2014.09.21]