Antoni Prusiński - Instytut Pileckiego
Antoni Prusiński was commemorated by the Pilecki Institute on 9 June 2019 in Poręba-Kocęby.
He lived with his wife Józefa, son Zdzisław and daughter Jadwiga in the village of Poręba-Kocęby in the Ostrów district. He worked mainly as a farmer, but music had a very special place in his heart. As a talented accordionist he often played at local parties. During German occupation he was involved in the partisan movement and often had to hide in self-devised hideouts. Despite these complications, he decided to join his neighbor Piotr Leszczyński in helping a young Jew by hiding him in one of his forest bunkers. In winter time, the Jew slept and ate meals at the Prusińskis’ house. On 15 May 1943, German soldiers organized a manhunt, barged into Antoni’s farm, brutally beat his wife and set fire to their house. Prusiński and his neighbor Leszczyński were then tied to a tree, beaten unconscious and shot to death. The Jew whom they had been hiding was executed as well.