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Family gatherings with Relatives from Argentina visiting Poland
"Along their ancestors' trail"

July 28 - August 11, 2001


This was the first visit to Poland for Adam Wajszczuk (063) and his two daughters Barbara and Wanda.
Adam has two more children, oldest - Ana and youngest - Lucas who, unfortunately, could not come. (Also, Adam's wife told me that it was her conscious decision not to come on this trip, "to let Adam and his daughters exclusively share the experiences of this very sentimental trip - he was planning it for a long time").
Adam's father and grandfather were Zbigniew (062) and Tadeusz (060) respectively, from the Podlasie line of Piotr (059) from Trzebieszow. Zbigniew fought in the Polish Army in September 1939, was captured by the Soviets, initially kept in the prisoner-of war camp in Ostaszkow and later in the labor camp. He was released late in 1941, joined the Polish Armed Forces in the West and via the Middle East and several battle fronts in Europe arrived in England, where he got married after the war before emigrating to Argentina (see -
http://www.wajszczuk.v.pl/english/drzewo/tekst/0062zbigniew.htm). Adam was born while still in England and daughter Eva shortly after arriving in Argentina. Eva and her mother visited previously Poland several years ago.

I would like to call attention of the visitors to this page that in the subsequent descriptions of the family encounters, the commom reference level to identify various persons will be "generation II" - for instance my "uncle Tadeusz" (060) was Adam's grandfather. Tadeusz was the oldest and had siblings: Karol (074), Edmund (075), my father Lucjusz (086), Maria (095) and the youngest Zenobiusz (096) - I will refer to them as "uncles". (see the map)

July 28, 2001 - Łomianki n/Warszawa

 click on the picture to enlarge   

Adam and his daughters, Barbara and Wanda
arrived in Warsaw by train from Germany. After
greeting them at the Railroad station, the initial family gathering took place in a suburb of Warsaw - Lomianki. His father's sister - Halina Biernacka (071) and her daughter - Alina Filipkowska (072) live there.



In the picture (from left): Halina, Adam, Alina, Wanda, Barbara and Carmen (087) Wajszczuk - my wife.

 

July 31, 2001, Siedlce



In the picture (from right): Anna, her granddaughters - Sara, Kaja and Daria (sitting at the dinner table), and daughters - Barbara Trzos (standing) and Agnieszka Iżewska.

Town of Siedlce was the site, where my Grandfather Piotr settled down towards the end of the XIX century and from there our branch of the family takes its origin. We spent time there with uncle Edmund's granddaughter - Anna Swiderska (079) and with her family. We also visited the Family graves in the cemetery and the old
Family house (see below).
Edmund's family has been sorely afflicted during the WW-II. Edmund himself died suddenly (unwitnessed and under unexplained circumstances) in 1943 - possibly murdered by the Gestapo? Then, three out of his four children, who joined the anti-Nazi Underground organizations,
fought and died during the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944 (a webpage on "Insurgents" is under preparation).

 

August 1, 2001 - Trzebieszów

Trzebieszow is the principal known "Family Nest" 
of the Podlasie branch of the Wajszczuk Family.
My Grandfather Piotr and his brother Franciszek
(103) were born here. Barbara Miszta (156), who
is the granddaughter of Franciszek and daughter of 
Stanislaw (147), still lives here with her family in an old Family house.



In the picture (from left): Wanda, Kitri (our daughter-in-law from Australia), Barbara, Adam, Karolina Miszta (160), Barbara Miszta, Carmen and I - Waldemar Wajszczuk (087).

 

August 2, 2001 - Lublin



In the picture (from left):  Wanda, Adam, Lilka (sitting) and Barbara.

The youngest uncle - Zenobiusz lived in Lublin with his family. His daughter, Teresa "Lilka" Jaroszynska (097) now lives here. Zenobiusz and Adam's father - Zbigniew served in the Polish Armed Forces in the West during WW-II and occasionally met in various locations. Zenobiusz wrote down his war reminiscences and his memoirs also contain some information about Zbigniew and his fates during the war. Adam received copies of some pages from Lilka.

 

August 7, 2001 - Sopot

After visiting Zamosc, Wieliczka, Krakow, Wadowice, Oswiecim (Auschwitz), Czestochowa and Torun we finally arrived in Sopot. Here we were welcomed by Jan Leszczylowski (078) and his wife Kinga. Jan is the grandson of Edmund (075) and brother of Anna Swiderska (079), whom we visited in Siedlce.



In the picture (from left): Jan, his wife Kinga and Adam.

 

August 10, 2001 - Warszawa



In the picture - Adam and Jerzy

After our return to Warsaw we met with Jerzy Jan Wajszczuk (154) and his family. He is a grandson of Franciszek (103) from Trzebieszow and a brother of Barbara Miszta, whom we visited there (see above).

 

August 11, 2001 - Warszawa

The farewell gathering and dinner took place at my sister - Anna Religa (090). 
In the evening the visitors left by train for Germany.

Please, note: More pictures from the trip, sightseeing and visits are available on a new page: "Family from Argentina visiting Poland"

  See also:
The Family house
The Family graves


Prepared by: Waldemar J. Wajszczuk & Paweł Stefaniuk
2001


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