THE ALLEY OF THE RIGHTEOUS:Lucyna and Wincenty Antonowicz

 

 

During the years of Nazi occupation Bronislava Malberg escaped from the Vilna Ghetto and came to the house of Jadwiga and Wincenty Antonowicz on Pylimo Street. Bronislava had moved to Vilnius right before the war started and did not have many acquaintances, friends or even savings there. Even though she had only known the Antonowiczs for a short while, they gave her a warm welcome. Bronislava had a hideout behind the wardrobe in the room of the Antonowiczs’ daughters Lucyna and Teresa. Since the house of the Antonowiczs was frequented by many different people and it was feared that the police who were searching for hidden Jews would come looking for her there, Bronislava moved to Wincenty’s mother Antonina’s place, but it was not safe there either. Bronislava Malberg was provided with forged documents and became Joana Malinowska. When a safe place was found for her, she moved to Nemenčinė where she earned her living as a private teacher of French and lived to see the end of the Nazi occupation. In 1942, the Antonowiczs bought Tuskulėnai Manor where they hid the Kurgan family till the end of the Nazi occupation. In 1942, the Antonowiczs experienced a painful loss – Jadwiga Antonowicz died. The kind-hearted and merciful lady did not survive the atrocities of the war. After the war the Antonowiczs and Bronislava Malberg (Joana Malinowska) emigrated to Poland and settled down in Warsaw. Joana married and became Piasecka. She worked at the Israeli Embassy in Warsaw for a while, and later moved to Paris, but she never forgot the Antonowiczs and kept in touch with Lucyna Antonowicz-Bauer for many years after.

 

 

From: Whosoever saves a single life, saves an entire universe

Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History, Vilnius, 2019