Objects

Photo of Adam Chciuk and Dawidek (?)

It is part of the collection:

Black and white photograph showing two boys aged approximately four years. It was donated to the Museum after more than 60 years by one of the pictured boys, Adam M. Chciuk, with a letter in which he described the memento:

"The photograph was taken in Wesoła near W[arsza]wy [now a district of Warsaw - ed.], in the summer of 1943. [...] The boy on the right of the photo is Dawidek, my peer. [...] lived with his mother and grandmother in Wesoła, in a house owned or rented by them. I suppose so, because having been to Dawidek's on several occasions, I have always met only these two women there and they were the ones who opened the door for us. I also remember that it was a stand-alone house.

I remember that contacts with Dawidek and his carers were always surrounded by a peculiar aura of caution. These meetings were either held in their home or on the slope of the sand hill on which the church stood, and where it still stands today. I know my grandfather didn't like me visiting Dawidek, but he did not prevent the visits, as evidenced by the photograph he took. [...]

Just before the Uprising [1944], Dawidek fell sick. His appendix needed to be removed. In circumstances unknown to me, the boy was taken to Warsaw for an operation. [...]

I only found out after the war, from my grandmother, that Dawidek and his carers were Jewish.

In 1999, I went to Wesoła, following a trail of memories. I found the house where I lived with my mother during the occupation. It was now owned by the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Fujarski, who remembered me, my mother and my grandparents perfectly. Full of memories, the conversation moved to Dawidek.

I learned that his father was a doctor who had sent his family in Wesoła, and himself had been hiding in Warsaw until he was shot in the street by a German thug. However, my interviewee had doubts about the boy's name. That's why I call him so, because this is what I remember.

I have repeatedly wondered about the possible future fate of Dawidek. Did he survive the war? Did he die during the Upising? Is the photograph my grandfather took the only trace of this boy? Or perhaps of the entire family, the name of which I never learned?

And this is the reason why I decided to donate them to the Museum.

If it would ever be possible to establish Dawidek's further fate, or at least his name, please let me know.”Black and white photograph showing two boys aged approximately four years. It was donated to the POLIN Museum after more than 60 years by one of the pictured boys, Adam M. Chciuk, with a letter in which he described the memento:

“The photograph was taken in Wesoła near W[arsza]wy [now a district of Warsaw - ed.], in the summer of 1943. [...] The boy on the right of the photo is Dawidek, my peer. [...] lived with his mother and grandmother in Wesoła, in a house owned or rented by them. I suppose so, because having been to Dawidek's on several occasions, I have always met only these two women there and they were the ones who opened the door for us. I also remember that it was a stand-alone house.

I remember that contacts with Dawidek and his carers were always surrounded by a peculiar aura of caution. These meetings were either held in their home or on the slope of the sand hill on which the church stood, and where it still stands today. I know my grandfather didn't like me visiting Dawidek, but he did not prevent the visits, as evidenced by the photograph he took. [...]

Just before the Uprising [1944], Dawidek fell sick. His appendix needed to be removed. In circumstances unknown to me, the boy was taken to Warsaw for an operation. [...]

I only found out after the war, from my grandmother, that Dawidek and his carers were Jewish.

In 1999, I went to Wesola to 'follow the trail of memories'. I found the house where I lived with my mother during the occupation. It was now owned by the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Fujarski, who remembered me, my mother and my grandparents perfectly. Full of memories, the conversation moved to Dawidek.

I learned that his father was a doctor who had sent his family in Wesoła, and himself had been hiding in Warsaw until he was shot in the street by a German thug. However, my interviewee had doubts about the boy's name. That's why I call him so, because this is what I remember.

I have repeatedly wondered about the possible future fate of Dawidek. Did he survive the war? Did he die during the Upising? Is the photograph my grandfather took the only trace of this boy? Or perhaps of the entire family, the name of which I never learned?

And this is the reason why I decided to donate them to the Museum.

If it would ever be possible to establish Dawid's further fate, or at least his name, please let me know."

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Information about the object
Author/creator
Grąbczewski, Feliks (1879-1950)
Object type
photography
Time of creation / dating
20th century
Created place
Warszawa (mazovian province)
Technique
black-and-white photograph
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-A2.2.14