Hiding 39 people

The hideout was prepared by Izek and his friend Wolf Stock, who was a carpenter. For this reason, it was relatively comfortable, with gas, electricity and water. In the end, however, the basement became very cramped, people lied there in two layers and could stand straight only in one corner.

A hidden door in the floor of Wołosiańskis’ kitchen led to the basement. To avoid a situation that a dog would smell the hiding place during a search of Gestapo, Wołosiańskis spilled pepper over the entrance. It could be opened only from the inside.

The hideout existed for 22 months – from September 1942 until August 1944. “We slept during the days and lived during the nights. Everything was done in silence” (Hadassa Wygodny, survivor). The hiding people had to be extremely careful, especially because a German, Herzer, used to live above Wołosiańskis’ flat.

Therefore, they almost never came out of the basement. Sometimes the women helped Sława at cooking but most of the time they had to stay downstairs. During the nights they were reading, playing chess (made out of rotten potatoes) and talking. Izek often joined them there.

Drohobych, 9 Szaszkiewicza St., 2003

Sława was spending her days on supplying the basement with meals. She used to walk around the town buying groceries in different places and hiding them in the baby carriage with the little daughter Anna inside. Everyone in the basement had to pay their money in order to buy food. “We will all eat from this money and I will not throw anyone out” Sława told them.

She admits that it happened many times that she was imagining coming back home and seeing Germans searching their house. Watching the 39 people coming out and being killed was one of the worst nightmares of the Wołosiański couple. When there was a danger once and the hideout could have been discovered, the hiding people told Wołosiański to run away and leave them. They refused. “If 39 people have to die, three more or three less don’t make such a big difference” (Izydor). In this way they stayed altogether until the liberation in August 1944.

Window of the basement in Drohobych, 2003

When the hidden people finally came out of the basement, Sława’s younger sister, Danka, was deeply shocked. Due to security reasons no one in the family knew about the aid.