Objects

Documentary photograph of Natalia Zajczyk

In her letters to family and friends after the war, Natalia Zajczyk wrote little about her life in the Warsaw ghetto. We learn more from a short account she gave just after the war. Before the outbreak of the Second World War Natalia was a teacher, in the account recorded by E. Markowa she said: "In 1939 until November I worked at the public school No. 104. In 1940 - already after the ghetto was closed Mira Szolcowa, the supervisor of the public school in Leszno, asked me to run the school garden. I taught first, second and third grade children in the school premises in Leszno 31 (teaching was secret). The children played outdoors - they did gymnastics, and then lessons with the children were held systematically in the school premises. Mrs. Szolcowa herself kept guard, kept watch. Parents had to pay a high fee. Textbooks were pre-war. School supplies were obtained from the ghetto shops. The school assemblies were conducted by a teacher, while small children were looked after by a girl with no qualifications.

The teacher received 2 zloty per day of work - for 5 hours (a very low fee, for 2 zloty ½ litre of milk). The school existed until the first action [i.e. 22 July 1942 - R.P.]. There were quite a few such complete schools in the ghetto - only the wealthier parents gave their children to such completes" (Archiwum ŻIH, Relacje. Zeznania ocalałych Żydów (The Archive of the Jewish Historical Institute. Relations. Testimonies of Surviving Jews)), ref. 301/5562).

Renata Piątkowska

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Information about the object
Time of creation / dating
1942-08-20
Created place
Warszawa (mazovian province)
Technique
black-and-white photograph
drawn
Material
photographic print paper
Keywords
Copyright status
the object is not protected by copyright law
Owner
POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews
Identification number
MPOLIN-A31.3.10