Tadeusz Borowski

Tadeusz Borowski

He was a Polish Writer and Journalist.

He was born to an Ethnic Polish Family in Zhytomyr, Ukrainian SSR, the Soviet Union (today Ukraine) on November 12, 1922.

In 1926, the Soviet Communists sent his Father, Stanisław, to a Gulag because he had been part of the Polish Military Organization (Polska Organizacja Wojskowa) – an Underground Group that helped Poland fight for its Independence during World War 1.

In 1930, the Soviet Communists sent his Mother, Teofila, to Siberia.

During this time he lived with an Aunt.

In 1932 the Polish Red Cross convinced the Soviets to let the 10 year old Tadeusz and his 14 year old Brother, Juliusz, leave the USSR (in exchange for some Communist Prisoners from Poland.) They were reunited with their Father at the Soviet-Polish Border. Their Mother made it to Poland in 1934.

The Family settled in Warsaw. They were living there when the Germans invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.

Tadeusz graduated from the Tadeusz Czacki Gymnasium in 1940 (in secret since the Germans had closed all Polish Schools and Universities.) He then studied Polish Philology (again in secret) at the University of Warsaw. He met his Future Wife, Maria Rundo, while at the University.

As a Writer he wrote for the Polish Underground Newspaper “Drogo” (The Road.)

In February 1943 his Fiancée, Maria, was arrested by the Germans. Rather than try and hide himself he went looking for Maria and was arrested himself.

He was first sent to Pawiak Prison in Warsaw and from there was sent to the Auschwitz Concentration and Death Camp where he was given the Camp Number: 119198.

While in Auschwitz Tadeusz continued his underground writing with poems, songs and carols, as well as letters to his Fiancée, Maria (who was also imprisoned in Auschwitz.)

At Auschwitz he worked on the Ramp (German: Judenrampe – Jewish Ramp) where he was forced to remove the Personal Belongings of the Jewish Men, Women and Children from the Cattle Cars as they arrived and were sent to the Gas Chambers.

After contacting Pneumonia he was forced to work in a Nazi Medical Experiment Hospital where Nazi Doctors experimented on the Prisoners (forcing Pregnant Women to have Abortions, Castrating Men, Injecting things into People to see what the affect would be, dunking People into Ice Cold Water to see how Hyperthermia worked, Testing Twins, etc.)  After the Experiments the Prisoners were killed.

In August 1944 he left Auschwitz and went to several other Concentration Camps before being liberated by the Americans at the Dachau Concentration Camp on May 1, 1945.

Once liberated Tadeusz went to a Displaced Persons Camp until September 1945. He then went to Paris before returning to Poland in May 1946.

His Fiancée, Maria, who survived Auschwitz and later went to Sweden returned to Poland in 1946.

They were married in December 1946.

In Poland he was forced to praise both the Polish Communists and the Soviet Communists now running Poland. He wanted to continue writing as a Writer and a Journalist, but could only do so if he became a Member of the Polish Communist Party (which he did in 1948.)

In 1946 Tadeusz wrote about Auschwitz in “Pożegnanie z Marią” (Farewell Maria) called “This Way to the Gas Ladies And Gentlemen” in English.

Later that year he won the State Artistic Award (Państwową Nagrodą Artystyczną.)

From June 1949 to March 1950 he worked at the Polish Military Mission in Germany (Polskiej Misji Wojskowej w Berlinie) as a Cultural Clerk.

His Daughter, Małgorzata, was born on June 26, 1951.

On July 3, 1951, at the age of 28, Tadeusz Borowski died by Suicide by breathing in gas from a gas stove (due to a mix of what he suffered under the German Nazis and what he was dealing with under the Polish and Soviet Communists.)

He was buried in the Avenue of Merit at the Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw which is reserved for Polish Heroes.