• OUR LADY of CZĘSTOCHOWA: st Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionOUR LADY of CZĘSTOCHOWA
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
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Roman Catholic
St Sigismund parish
05-507 Słomczyn
85 Wiślana Str.
Konstancin deanery
Warsaw archdiocese, Poland

  • St SIGISMUND: St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
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Martyrology of the clergy — Poland

XX century (1914 – 1989)

personal data

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  • WILAMOWSKI Alexander; source: Fr Anastasius Nadolny, prof., „Biographical dictionary of priests ordained in the years 1921—1945 working in the Chełmno diocese”, Bernardinum publishing house 2021, own collection; CLICK TO ZOOM AND DISPLAY INFOWILAMOWSKI Alexander
    source: Fr Anastasius Nadolny, prof., „Biographical dictionary of priests ordained in the years 1921—1945 working in the Chełmno diocese”, Bernardinum publishing house 2021
    own collection

surname

WILAMOWSKI

surname
versions/aliases

WILANOWSKI

forename(s)

Alexander (pl. Aleksander)

  • WILAMOWSKI Alexander - Commemorative plaque, St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist cathedral, Toruń, source: gdansk.ipn.gov.pl, own collection; CLICK TO ZOOM AND DISPLAY INFOWILAMOWSKI Alexander
    Commemorative plaque, St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist cathedral, Toruń
    source: gdansk.ipn.gov.pl
    own collection
  • WILAMOWSKI Alexander - Commemorative plaque, porch, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven cathedral, Pelplin, source: own collection; CLICK TO ZOOM AND DISPLAY INFOWILAMOWSKI Alexander
    Commemorative plaque, porch, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven cathedral, Pelplin
    source: own collection

function

diocesan priest

creed

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

diocese / province

Culm (Chełmno) diocesemore on
pl.wikipedia.org
[access: 2012.11.23]

date and place
of death

27.08.1941

KL Dachauconcentration camp
today: Dachau, Upper Bavaria reg., Bavaria state, Germany

more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2016.05.30]

details of death

In 1918‑1920, during the struggle for Polishness and the takeover of Pomerania by the reborn Poland, pursuant to the decision of the Treaty of Versailles signed on 26.06.1919, which entered into force on 10.01.1920 — while studying at the Germ. Progymnasium in Lubawa, member of the school chapter of the Polish clandestine student self–education Pomeranian Philomaths organization, i.e. Thomas Zan Society.

After German invasion of Poland on 01.09.1939 (Russians invaded Poland 17 days later) and start of the World War II, after start of German occupation, arrested by the Germans on 05.09.1939, right after Germans captured Nowe Miasto Lubawskie — together with his parish priest, Fr Leo Pryba, with whom his fate was thereafter inextricably linked, until death in KL Dachau concentration camp.

Jailed in Stalag I–B Hohenstein POW camp.

At the beginning of 10.1939 brought to Prabuty and on 05.10.1939 released.

Arrested again by the Germans on 15.11.1939 — together with Fr Leon Pryba.

Jailed in Nowe Miasto Lubawskie, Brodnica and Rypin prisons, Obory transit camp (from 03.12.1939), IL Graudenz internment camp in Grudziądz (from 22.02.1940), from 30.03.1940 in KL Stutthof concentration camp, ZL Grenzdorf sub‑camp, KL Sachsenhausen concentration camp (from 09‑10.04.1940).

Finally on 14.12.1940 transported to KL Dachau concentration camp where perished.

cause of death

extermination: exhaustion and starvation

perpetrators

Germans

date and place
of birth

23.06.1911

Lubawatoday: Lubawa urban gm., Iława pov., Warmia–Masuria voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.02]

alt. dates and places
of birth

28.06.1911

presbyter (holy orders)
ordination

23.12.1933 (Pelpin cathedralmore on
pl.wikipedia.org
[access: 2014.11.14]
)

positions held

1938 – 1939

vicar — Nowe Miasto Lubawskietoday: Nowe Miasto Lubawskie urban gm., Nowe Miasto Lubawskie pov., Warmia–Masuria voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.02]
⋄ St Thomas the Apostle RC parish ⋄ Nowe Miasto Lubawskietoday: Nowe Miasto Lubawskie urban gm., Nowe Miasto Lubawskie pov., Warmia–Masuria voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.02]
RC deanery

1938

vicar — Wielki Komorsktoday: Warlubie gm., Świecie pov., Kuyavia–Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.02]
⋄ St Bartholomew the Apostle RC parish ⋄ Nowealso: Nowe nad Wisłą
today: Nowe gm., Świecie pov., Kuyavia–Pomerania voiv., Poland

more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.11.27]
RC deanery

1935 – 1938

vicar — Działdowotoday: Działdowo urban gm., Działdowo pov., Warmia–Masuria voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.02]
⋄ St Adalbert the Bishop and Martyr RC parish ⋄ Lidzbark–Pomezaniadeanery name
today: Poland
RC deanery

1935

vicar — Chełmnotoday: Chełmno urban gm., Chełmno pov., Kuyavia–Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.07.25]
⋄ Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary RC parish ⋄ Chełmnotoday: Chełmno urban gm., Chełmno pov., Kuyavia–Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.07.25]
RC deanery — also: chaplain of the Daughters of Charity FdlC and the chapel in the County Hosptial

1934 – 1935

vicar — Kijewo Królewskietoday: Kijewo Królewskie gm., Chełmno pov., Kuyavia–Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.02]
⋄ St Lawrence the Martyr RC parish ⋄ Chełmnotoday: Chełmno urban gm., Chełmno pov., Kuyavia–Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.07.25]
RC deanery

1929 – 1933

student — Pelplintoday: Pelplin gm., Tczew pov., Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.05.06]
⋄ philosophy and theology, Theological Seminary

comments

The urn containing the ashes of the victim — the body was prob. cremated at Germ. Ostfriedhof (Eng. Eastern cemetery) in Munich — is being kept in Am Perlacher Forst cemetery, at place known as Germ. Ehrenhain I (Eng. „Remembrance Grove nr 1”), in Munich (marked as urn no D2785)

others related
in death

PRYBAClick to display biography Leo Simon

murder sites
camp 
(+ prisoner no)

KL Dachau (prisoner no: 22551Click 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: www.kz-gedenkstaette-dachau.deClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.08.10]
, en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2016.05.30]
)

KL Sachsenhausen (prisoner no: 21240): 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 1942‑1944 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]
)

ZL Grenzdorf: German Germ. Zivilgefangenenlager (Eng. camp for civilians) in Graniczna Wieś village. Existed in 1939‑1941. In 1940 — when in became a sub‑camp of KL Stutthof concentration camp and as such was known as Germ. Aussenstelle (pl. external camp) — c. 100 Polish priests from Pomerania — as a part of «Intelligenzaktion» aimed at extermination of Polish intelligentsia and ruling classes in Pomerania — were kept there and forced to slave at manufacturing of road bricks. (more on: pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2014.03.10]
)

KL Stutthof: In KL Stutthof (then in Eastern Prussian belonging to Germany, today: Sztutowo village) concentration camp, that Germans started to build on 02.09.1939, a day after German invasion of Poland and start of the World War II, Germans held c. 100‑127 thousands prisoners from 28 countries, including 47 thousands women and children. C. 65,000 victims were murdered and exterminated. In the period of 25.01–27.04.1945 in the face of approaching Russian army Germans evacuated the camp. When on 09.05.1945 Russians soldiers entered the camp only 100 prisoners were still there. In an initial period (1939‑40) Polish Catholic priests from Pomerania were held captive there before being transported to KL Dachau concentration camp. Some of them were murdered in KL Stutthof or vicinity (for instance in Stegna forest). Also later some Catholic priests were held in KL Stutthof. (more on: stutthof.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2018.11.18]
, en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.07.06]
)

IL Graudenz: As part of «Intelligenzaktion» — physical extermination of Polish intelligentsia from Pomerania — Germans initially in 09.1939 held Poles captive in investigative prison in Grudziądz. After it became too small the genocidal German paramilitary organization Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz organized the Germ. Internierungslager (Eng. internment camp) in the building of the so‑called Borderlands Hostel building at Chopin Str. (on 31.03.1937, before German invasion, it housed 97 boys). In this building Germans held captive 4,000 to 5,000 Poles, including c. 150 local priests and c. 100 teachers and students of the local teachers' seminary. Most of them were subsequently murdered in local forests (Księże Góry, Mniszek‑Grupa), some were taken to concentration camps and 200 boys — residents of the Borderlands Hostel — were after some time deported as slave laborers to Germany. Everything was obviously done in accordance with „German law” — there was an ad hoc Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz kangaroo court in the camp, which „issued sentences” deciding on the fate of imprisoned Poles. (more on: pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.01.13]
)

Obory: From 30.10.1939 till 22.02.1940 in a Carmelite fathers’ convent Germans — German political police Gestapo and members of the genocidal German organization Germ. Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz (Eng. Self‑Defense) collaborating with it — held up to 100 Polish priest from Płock and Chełmno dioceses. After four months of internment — in extremely difficult conditions, in the middle of a very hard winter, without heating or outer clothes, on unchanged straw in cold cells, without food (saved only by the local residents who shared with them their own food), forced to perform forced slave labor — almost everyone was deported to concentration camps: initially KL Stutthof and KL Sachsenhausen. Most of them perished there. (more on: pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.08.17]
, www.obory.com.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2012.12.28]
)

Rypin: Prison for Poles run by Germans in 1939 known as „Torture House”. As a part of «Intelligenzaktion» — aimed at extermination of Polish intelligentsia and ruling classes in Pomerania — Germans jailed there and tortured up to 1,100 victims. They were subsequently murdered either in the prison itself of in mass murder locations in Skrwileńskie and Rusinowskie forests. (more on: pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.08.17]
)

Stalag I B Hohenstein: Stalag I B Hohenstein — POW camp n. Olsztynek (Germ. Hohenstein). One of the largest POW camps in Eastern Europe — during World War II up to 650,000 POWs were held (60,000 perished). Poles, French, Russians, Italians, Belgians and Serbians were held captive. First were the Poles brought there in the first days of 09.1939. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2015.09.30]
)

«Intelligenzaktion»: (Eng. „Action Intelligentsia”) — extermination program of Polish elites, mainly intelligentsia, executed by the Germans right from the start of the occupation in 09.1939 till around 05.1940, mainly on the lands directly incorporated into Germany but also in the so‑called General Governorate where it was called «AB‑aktion». During the first phase right after start of German occupation of Poland implemented as Germ. Unternehmen „Tannenberg” (Eng. „Tannenberg operation”) — plan based on proscription lists of Poles worked out by (Germ. Sonderfahndungsbuch Polen), regarded by Germans as specially dangerous to the German Reich. List contained names of c. 61,000 Poles. Altogether during this genocide Germans methodically murdered c. 50,000 teachers, priests, landowners, social and political activists and retired military. Further 50,000 were sent to concentration camps where most of them perished. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2014.10.04]
)

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]
, www.vatican.vaClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2023.05.28]
)

Thomas Zan Societies: Secret societies of Polish youth, aiming at self–education, patriotic in form and content, functioning 1830‑1920, in mutiny against enforced Germanisation and censure of Polish culture, mainly in secondary schools — gymnasia — mainly in Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) and later in Silesia. The first groups were formed in 1817. In 1897 a congress in Bydgoszcz was held when rules of clandestine activities were formulated. At other congress in Bydgoszcz in Poznań a „Red Rose” society was formed, heading all others groups in various gymnasiums and coordinating their activities. In 1900 „Red Rose” consolidated Philomaths organizations from Pomerania as well. After Toruń trial of Pomeranian Philomaths in Toruń Germans arrested 24 members of Thomas Zan Society from Gniezno. 21 of them were sentenced up to 6 weeks in prison and reprimands. All were relegated from schools without the right to continue education in secondary and higher schools in Prussia. Despite repression the Societies existed till 1918 and rebirth of Poland. (more on: pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2021.12.19]
)

Pomeranian Philomaths: Secret societies of Polish youth, aiming at self–education, patriotic in form and content, functioning 1830‑1920, mainly in secondary schools — gymnasia — in Pomerania around Vistula river (Gdańsk Pomerania and Chełmno county), in Prussian–occupied Polish territories (one of the partitions of Poland). On 08.01.1901 Germans conducted a series of interrogations of students at Chełmno, Brodnica and Toruń gymnasiums. On 09‑12.09.1901 the first of court trials of Polish students from those gymnasiums and students of Theological Seminary in Pelplin was held in Toruń. 1 person was sentenced to 3 months in prison, 1 to 2 months, 3 to 6 weeks, 7 to 3 weeks, 2 to 2 weeks, 19 to a week, 2 to 1 day, 10 were reprimanded. 15 were cleared. More definitive penalties were relegations from the schools with so‑called wolf’s ticket, forbidding sentenced students to continue secondary and higher studies in Prussia (Germany). Among those penalized were a few future Catholic priests — those were able to continue their education for the Chełmno diocese bishop, Bp August Rosentreter, refused to relegate students from Theological Seminary. (more on: pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2018.11.18]
)

sources

personal:
www.niedziela.diecezja.torun.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2012.11.23]
, www.sanktuariummbl.diecezja.torun.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2012.12.28]
, www.sanktuariummbl.diecezja.torun.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2012.12.28]
, arolsen-archives.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2019.10.13]
, www.ipgs.usClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2012.11.23]

bibliographical:
Lubawa County Biographical Lexicon 1244‑2000”, George Szews, 2000
Urns kept at the Am Perlacher Forst cemetery — analysis”, Mr Gregory Wróbel, curator of the Museum of Independence Traditions in Łódź, private correspondence, 25.05.2020
Biographical dictionary of priests ordained in the years 1921‑1945 working in the Chełmno diocese”, Fr Anastasius Nadolny, prof., Bernardinum publishing house 2021
original images:
gdansk.ipn.gov.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2020.10.02]

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