Entitled Death for Humanity - The Story of the Ulma Family, the showcase follows the life of the family of Józef and Wiktoria Ulma, from the village of Markowa, near Łańcut in southeastern Poland, who in the autumn of 1942 gave shelter to members of two Jewish families.
Photo: Polish Cultural Institute New York
In the spring of 1944, German police discovered that the Ulma family had been hiding Jewish people on their farm.
On March 24, 1944, the Germans shot the eight Jews dead and murdered the entire Ulma family, Józef, Wiktoria, who was seven months pregnant, and their six children, Stasia, Basia, Franek, Wladzio, Antos and Marysia, aged 7 to 1.
The Ulmas were posthumously honoured for their heroism with the title of Righteous Among the Nations.
On Sunday, they were beatified by the Catholic Church at a ceremony in their native village of Markowa.
Poland’s Consul General in New York Adrian Kubicki said: “Helping Jews was punishable by death. The Ulma family was aware that by giving aid they were risking their lives and those of their family. This threat, however, did not stop Jozef and Wiktoria Ulma from helping their neighbors.”
He added: “The exhibition commemorates the tragedy of the victims of the Holocaust and the heroism of the family of those, risked their lives to help others. The story of Wiktoria and Józef Ulma must not be forgotten.”
Prepared by Poland’s Institute for National Remembrance (IPN), the Death for Humanity - The Story of the Ulma Family exhibition is displayed at the Polish Consulate General building in New York (Madison Avenue and 37th Street), in cooperation with the Polish Cultural Institute in New York.
It runs until Thursday, September 14.
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Source: Polish Cultural Institute New York