#vos-41

Thank you for your fast reply. I would like very much for you to contact the people in Vishnevo and I will try to contact Mr. Charles Straczynski.

Some extra information about my father Wladyslaw Rutkowski. As I wrote he was born on december, 12 1925. When he was 9 year old his father died and the blacksmith workshop was taken over by his (or his fathers) cousin Dubiecki. His name can be found in the business directory of 1929 of your website. (What I am wondering about is that for my knowledge in 1929 the blacksmith workshop should then be owned by my grandfather. His name, Rutkowski, I can not find in the directory list.)
I know very little about the period of his youth just a few short stories.

Of course my father was present when in september 1939 Russia invaded the eastern part of Poland acoording to the Molotov-Ribentrop-pact of August 1939.
When the Germans attached Russia in 1941 and therefore also invaded Vishnevo my father was almost 16 years old. When he became 16 he had to hide for the Germans because of the "Arbeitzeinsatz". At 17, thus in 1942, he witnessed the murder of the Jews as also described by Charles Straczynski. One thing that shook him than was that he saw a little child that came running out of one of the burning buildings being captured by a German soldier and literaly thrown back into the fire.

Shortly after this he saw his mother for the last time as he joined a Partizan group. With this group he travelled to Warsaw to join the uprise in the Warsaw getto. (Again I wonder, why is a christian boy interested in a jewwish uprise? Was he part of a jewwish partizan group? ) Before they reached Warsaw it came to their understanding that the uprise was beaten down and the decided to go to Prague. On their way they where captured by the Germans. All partizans where shot except for the young boys, including my father. He than was taken by the Germans to France where he had to dig trenches. At the end of the war he was liberated by the Americans and joined them. After the war he did not dare to go back to Vishnevo. After all it wasn't Poland anymore. He decided to go to America. On his journey there he stayed in the Netherlands where he met my mother and so ................

Eilat, this is the story of my father as I know it. If you can help me to learn more, I (we as I speak also for my two brothers) would be very thankfull.

For now a thank you for your for your efforts so far and I hope to hear more from you


Stanislaw Rutkowski
s.m.g.rutkowski@planet.nl