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Bolesław Martynowski 1910 - 1945 Edit

Born 21.1.1910 in Kiew / Kyjiw
Died 26.1.1945 in Melk

Biography

Bolesław Martynowski was born in 1910 in Kiev, which at that time was part of the Russian Empire. His family was Polish. In 1920, the family returned to Poland. He graduated from an agricultural school. He worked in a family company operating its own cinemas. Additionally, he has performed in several theaters as an actor, dancer and singer. In August 1939 he was mobilized into the army to the 34th Infantry Regiment. He was taken prisoner probably on 3 September. He was a prisoner of Stalag II B, Gefangenennumer 5292. In October 1940, he was released from the camp and had to do forced labor on a farm in the Third Reich in the village of Stepen (now Poland) from where he sent letters to his family.

“19.XI.40

                        Dear Halcia!

I’ve received your letter, written on 6th of this month. I did not write back immediately because, first of all, I am now overwhelmed by apathy that when I come to the room I cannot do anything absolutely, and secondly, this is nothing new for me. This friend of mine, came here, he got a call to the Labor Office, I don't know whether he will be fired, because they applied for him, or they will assign him to another place. Now I am alone, because I visit the village rarely, I did not talk to anyone for a few days, because I only talk to the landlord about work, sometimes not a word during the whole day.

One thing that is not lacking here is work, because actually I have to do everything myself. I get up about two hours earlier than everyone else, I feed two horses, nine cows, three calves and over ten pigs, I throw out the dung and put the straw down, then I take what I need, I eat breakfast and go to the field, I do not come back for lunch, because a day is short, I only take bread for the horses and for myself, I come back at dusk, I do some cleaning, I feed the horses and I go home. If it continues like this, it seems that I will forget to speak Polish and I will not learn German (which is good, because I can communicate it now).

In Stepenia, we are only three in the village, and I am 1½ km from the village, in other villages there are many more Poles and there are also Polish women, but I don't go anywhere, not because it's forbidden, but I just don't want to, apparently I'm too old for walks, I prefer to sit. I always play solitaire, I bought old cards for 50f. and I am doing this solitaire, something we were constantly playing, but the shortened way only one deck and from sevens. I am slowly earning money, I gave shoes to be padded (there are no rubber soles here) and patched, I paid 5 m. 50 f. And I bought gloves from a Frenchman for 2 m. I think they will be warm, with one finger, I just have to lace up the cloth on my hands, as they will wear out too soon. In addition, I have a shortage of pants, but I have already reported the need to the village leader, and if permission comes from Neustettin to buy them, then for the next payday, just for Christmas, I will buy them. So far, we have been getting 12 m a month and the last month has already been 23 because yesterday was one month we signed. Write what is going on with you and if everyone is healthy, do not worry about me, I am managing.

Kisses

Bolek”

In the fall of 1944, a Polish insurgent organization with which he allegedly collaborated was discovered in that area. He managed to hide, in January 1945 he was arrested and taken to a concentration camp in Austria. He died on 26 January 1945 in Melk.

 

Alicja Ronisz, great granddaughter of his sister, and Andrzej Ronisz, grandson of his sister

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