Stanisław Piwko - Instytut Pileckiego
Stanisław Piwko was commemorated by Pilecki Institute on 4 June 2020 in Sterdyń.
He lived with his wife Zofia, their three children, and his wife’s parents and siblings at a colony in Paulinów, where he was an agricultural worker at the local estate. After the outbreak of the war, and in defiance of the ruthless laws imposed by the occupiers, he aided the Jews who were hiding in the nearby forests. One of them was an acquaintance from before the war, Szymel Ruskielenke, who once came to his house with a man claiming to be a Jew from Warsaw or France. On the morning of 24 February 1943, Stanisław was making his way to work on the farm. His wife was also supposed to go with him to collect wheat flour. On the way, he was stopped by a group of German soldiers. Two or three other men were also stopped along with him. When Zofia was heading to the farm, she saw that her husband was in danger; she even managed to go to him and ask if he had his Kennkarte [identification used in occupied territories]. Stanisław begged her to go home. When she had gone 100 meters, she heard gunshots. She turned around and saw her husband fall to the ground. As it later turned out, he had been shot seven times in the head.