Chopin. Dziennik z podróży
2023-09-10
Stanisław Cywiński – norwidolog i filozof
2023-09-10The beatification of the Ulma family
On 17 September 2003, the Pelplin Diocese's Bishop Jan Bernard Szlaga initiated beatification process of 122 Polish martyrs who died during World War II, including Józef and Wiktoria Ulma with their seven children among the others. On 20 February 2017, Congregation for the Causes of Saints allowed to take over management of the process of Ulma family by Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Przemyśl.On 13 September 1995, Józef and Wiktoria Ulma were posthumously bestowed the titles of Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem. On 24 March 2004 a stone memorial to honor memory of the Ulma family was erected in Markowa. Their medals of honor were presented to Józef's surviving brother, Władysław Ulma. Their certificate informs that they tried to save Jews at the risk of their lives, but fails to mention that they died for them, as noted in the book Godni synowie naszej Ojczyzny.
Ulma family - Józef and Wiktoria Ulma with Seven Children were a Polish Catholic husband and wife in Markowa, Poland, during the Nazi German occupation in World War II who attempted to rescue Polish Jewish families by hiding them in their own home during the Holocaust. They and their children were summarily executed on 24 March 1944 for doing so.
Notably, despite the murder of the Ulmas—meant to strike fear into the hearts of villagers—their neighbours continued to hide Jewish fugitives until the end of World War II in Europe. At least 21 Polish Jews survived in Markowa during the occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany. They are regarded by the State of Israel as Righteous Among the Nations and were beatified in the Catholic Church on 10 September 2023.
The idea of creation of the Ulma Family Museum of Poles Saving Jews in World War II in Markowa emerged in late 2007. On June 30, 2008 the Local Parliament of the Podkarpackie province passed a unanimous resolution on establishing the Museum. In 2009, the supervision over the construction process was passed on to the Castle Museum in Łańcut. The site was handed over by the local self-government of the Markowa commune. The author of the architectural design is Mirosław Nizio. The Museum was opened on March 17, 2016.
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