A BOOK FROM THE COLLECTION
OF JÓZEF ULMA AT THE MUSEUM
OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR
The Pilecki Institute donated a book to the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk that once belonged to Józef Ulma from Markowa, near Rzeszów. During the Second World War, the Germans murdered Ulma, his wife and children for hiding Jews. The book, which bears Ulma's handwritten signature, will be displayed in a special cabinet on level -3 for the next month, after which it will become part of the museum's main exhibition.
Museum of the Scond World War
The book was ceremonially presented as part of the “Entering History” event, a cyclical event aimed at showcasing selected artefacts that are not typically displayed in the museum but are linked to significant events, personal stories, and current anniversaries, including events and issues related to the war and occupation.
During the event, Wojciech Kozłowski, PhD, the Deputy Director of the Pilecki Institute, and Prof. Rafał Wnuk, the Acting Director of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk, spoke about the importance of the donation. Additionally, Kamil Kopera,
a historian from the Pilecki Institute, and Wojciech Łukaszun, PhD, Head of the Museum's Collections Department, presented the history of the exhibit.
Józef Ulma had a home library that he generously made available to the residents of Markowa. One of the books from this library, titled “Lectures on the Science of Commodities,” is confirmed to have belonged to him, evidenced by his signature and the inventory number he assigned to it. The books were quite popular among the locals. The copy donated by the IP shows signs of bookbinding repair, which Ulma himself did using a bookbinding machine he had constructed.
Jozef Ulma was renowned in his home village for his diverse passions and for implementing novelties and enhancements to daily living. In addition to running the library, he was involved in photography, silkworm breeding and promoting fruit farming, among other things. He was also actively involved in the Union of Rural Youth of the Republic of Poland, known as “Wici”.
During the war, Józef Ulma and his wife, Wiktoria, hid eight Jewish acquaintances in their home. On 24 March 1944, German gendarmes arrived at their house, likely due to a denunciation by a Polish “blue” policeman. Tragically, they murdered all the Jews in hiding, along with the Ulma couple and their six children. At the time of her death, Wiktoria was in the advanced stages of pregnancy. In 1995, both Józef and Wiktoria were posthumously honoured with the title of Righteous Among the Nations. Additionally, the Roman Catholic Church recognised the family as martyrs and beatified them in 2023.
The book, which the Pilecki Institute donated to the Museum of the Second World War (MIIW), had been preserved by the family of Józef Ulma's brother.
A letter fromyJózef Ulma's nephew, Jerzy Ulma, was read out during the ceremony. Jerzy donated this precious family heirloom to the Pilecki Institute (PI) and agreed to display it in the main exhibition at the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk. In his letter addressed to the directors of both institutions, Jerzy Ulma emphasised:
“The collaborative endeavours of the Pilecki Institute and the Museum contribute to perpetuating the memory of our heroes. I thank you for your dedication to preserving the legacy of those who bravely confronted evil and championed the cause of others. I am confident that your endeavours will ensure the enduring recognition and remembrance of the Ulma family and other heroes, presented and commemorated in a way that guarantees full comprehension within the current global
context”.
The book was presented to visitors in a separate display cabinet on level -3 before the entrance to the Museum of the Second World War's main exhibition. The volume will remain displayed for the subsequent month, after which it will be incorporated into the main exhibition.
“It will be displayed in the exhibition's section dedicated to grassroots Polish initiatives to shelter Jews during the Holocaust. This section already features an object commemorating the Joniuk family's assistance to Jews in hiding, which has been on display since the Museum's opening. Jan Szkudlińskis, PhD, the head of the Museum’s Research Department and one of the curators of the exhibition, notes that a considerable number of Jews sought help after Operation Reinhard when the Germans began mass deportations to Holocaust camps.”
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