Teofil Galikowski 1898 - 1940 Edit

Teofil Galikowski was a Polish railway worker, the son of Jan and Katarzyna, husband to Helena, and father of four children: Gertruda, Gabriela, Jan, and Józef. During the German occupation of Poland, he was arrested and deported to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. On May 27, 1940, he was transferred to Mauthausen concentration camp, and later to its subcamp Gusen, where he was murdered on November 16, 1940. Family accounts suggest that Teofil may have been involved in resistance activity, possibly linked to the sabotage operation known as Akcja „Wózek”, which targeted Nazi railway infrastructure — a courageous act that may have led to his arrest. His family never saw him again. After his death, a single object was sent back to his wife: a simple wooden spoon — a modest but deeply meaningful remnant of a man who gave his life under brutal oppression. To this day, it is treasured by his descendants as a silent witness of his fate, and a symbol of remembrance. Teofil Galikowski is remembered as a brave and principled man. Though his life was taken in cruel and unjust circumstances, his memory lives on — honored, cherished, and never forgotten.

Tomasz Galikowski, grandson (2025)