Gallery – Interwar Borderlands

Photograph in the collection of Artur Nowaczyk. I t was taken in Gydnia, where the Polish Navy was based, and is possibly before the outbreak of WWII.

Julianne Morris

During WWII

Polish navy

Jozef's mothers parents - Marianna & Wojciech Samolewscy

Helena Kordzinski

Before WWII

Birth Certificate Dad born near Kalisz western Poland but aged @ 2 years the family moved to Poddebce, Wolyn in the eastern borderlands.

Helena Kordzinski

Before WWII

Bogumila and Henryk Zych – Blizyn, Poland late1920s

Robert Komar

Before WWII

Poland

Bogumila and Henryk Zych – Blizyn, Poland 1929

Robert Komar

Before WWII

Poland

Elżbieta in Poland, 1936

Elżbieta Watrach

Before WWII

Poland

Bogumila – Poland 1928

Robert Komar

Before WWII

Poland

Bogumila and Henryk Zych – Blizyn, Poland 1929

Robert Komar

Before WWII

Poland

Mikolaj Chmielewski was born in Luck/Lutz 1891. He was a Geometrze with 7 years Gymnasium, wrote and spoke 5 languages, including Latin. Was given Crown Land after serving in the Czars Cavalry (Czars Imperial Army) during WWI, captured by Germans and escaped 1917, married Kamila Swiecicki in Plock, Poland 1918 and travelled to Zhitomirski Oblast, with entire wife’s’ family, her two sisters Jadwiga, Adela and their father (Lenarda Szymczak's great-grandfather Robert Swiecicki) who was a widower, with first daughter Cezaryna, Czesia born on the way 1919 and first son Kamilo born 1921 in a hole in the ground, covered with branches, until their log house was built from the forest, with second daughter (Lenarda's mother) Helena born in the newly built house 1924. This photo of Mikolaj was taken in Denmark in 1918 on his way home to Poland, after escaping from German prison camp in WW1 (he fought for the Imperial Russian Army, in the Cavalry).

Lenarda Szymczak

Before WWII

Denmark

Mikolaj Chmielewski was born in Luck/Lutz 1891. He was a Geometrze with 7 years Gymnasium, wrote and spoke 5 languages, including Latin. Was given Crown Land after serving in the Czars Cavalry (Czars Imperial Army) during WWI, captured by Germans and escaped 1917, married Kamila Swiecicki in Plock, Poland 1918 and travelled to Zhitomirski Oblast, with entire wife’s’ family, her two sisters Jadwiga, Adela and their father (Lenarda Szymczak's great-grandfather Robert Swiecicki) who was a widower, with first daughter Cezaryna, Czesia born on the way 1919 and first son Kamilo born 1921 in a hole in the ground, covered with branches, until their log house was built from the forest, with second daughter (Lenarda's mother) Helena born in the newly built house 1924. This photo of Kamila Chmielewska z domu Swiecicki was a mandatory passport photo in 1936. This was after all their possessions were confiscated by Soviets and incorporated into Kolkhoz, Collective Farm, in Marchlewszczyzna / Failed Experiment. This was the beginning of the liquidation of the Polish People in the first wave of terror, THE GREAT TERROR. Her husband, Mikolaj Chmielewski taken by NKVD 17.12.37 and reported dead 1938.

Lenarda Szymczak

Before WWII

Russia

THE ORIGINS AND THE POLITICAL BACKGROUND by Piotr Eberhardt, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw: Poland. e-mail address: p.ebe@twarda.pan.pl

Piotr Eberhardt

After WWII

Poland

Warsaw

Photo in my grandfather's possession. My grandfather Michał Piotuch is in photo and my grandmother Antonina from family Barancewicz. Małe Horodyszcze was a Polish Colony settlement south of Baranowicze. Another source has indicated that the photo is of the youth in the Colony Małe Horodyszcze in 1934.

Before WWII

Poland

Małe Horodyszcze, Grodno, Branowicze

Members of the Polish Cavalry in Poland

Jadwiga Ciupak

Before WWII

Poland

September 1939 Campaign

Serving in the Polish Cavalry in Poland

Jadwiga Ciupak

Before WWII

Poland

September 1939 Campaign

Mother, Aleksandra (nee Dąbrowska), Grandmother, sister Maria, and Boleslaw

Boleslaw Makowski

Before WWII

Poland

Lucjan Makowski and Aleksandra (nee Dąbrowska)

Boleslaw Makowski

Before WWII

Poland

Zbigniew Franciszek Pniewski

Waldemar Pniewski

Before WWII

Poland

1934 Nov 23 letter from Luck_front of letter

Maria Brodowicz

Before WWII

Poland

Wolyn

1934 Nov 23 letter from Luck_back of letter

Maria Brodowicz

Before WWII

Poland

Wolyn

Document assigning the land to Florian Krzysztofiak, 24 August 1922.

Maria Brodowicz

Before WWII

Poland

Wolyn

Document assigning the land to Florian Krzysztofiak, 24 August 1922.

Maria Brodowicz

Before WWII

Poland

Wolyn

Document assigning the land to Florian Krzysztofiak, 24 August 1922.

Maria Brodowicz

Before WWII

Poland

Wolyn

Document assigning the land to Florian Krzysztofiak, 24 August 1922.

Maria Brodowicz

Before WWII

Poland

Wolyn

1939 June 4 – invitation_front

Maria Brodowicz

Before WWII

Poland

Wolyn

1939 June 4 – invitation_back

Maria Brodowicz

Before WWII

Poland

Wolyn

Sometime in 1930's?

Edward Jurczenko

Before WWII

Poland

Stojanow, Tarnopol, Radziechow

Julian Jurczenko - Policeman in Poland - this is possibly taken mid 1930's

Edward Jurczenko

Before WWII

Poland

Stojanow, Tarnopol, Radziechow

September 1939 Campaign

Teenage Edward.

Original now in the USHMM Collection

Before WWII

Poland

ID card issued in Lodz 30.6.1939.

Original now in the USHMM Collection

Poland

Lodz

In September 1939 Edward volunteered to join the Polish Auxiliary Forces. Early in September 1939 he was arrested by the Germans, together with some of the other auxiliary soldiers. He managed to escape and returned to his home in Lodz where his mother was still living. On 6th December 1939 Edward travelled by train to Lwow, in eastern Poland, to avoid being re-arrested by the Germans.

Original now in the USHMM Collection

Poland

Lodz