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First and last names: Bronisława and Franciszek Dymek, Franciszek and Katarzyna Kolano

Place during the war: Lwów, obwód lwowski, Ukraina (dawne województwo lwowskie, Polska)

Franciszek and Bronisława Dymek with little daughter Maria and Bronisława’s parents Franciszek and Katarzyna Kolano nee Daniłów lived during the war in Lviv. When Germans started actions against Jews, Dymek and Kolano families gave temporary shelter to persecuted persons. Filip Halpern, his wife Ema and their twelve-year old daughter Bianka, among many others, benefited from Dymek family’s help. In 1942 Filip Halpern brought Bianka to Dymek family’s and asked to hide her. From that moment the girl under the name Helena Wilgocka lived together with Polish family and she was treated by Franciszek and Bronisława as their daughter. Franciszek Kolano was hiding Zofia Stark in his shoemaker’s workshop. In the early spring of 1943 Germans came to the workshop, conducted search and found Zofia. Zofia committed suicide not willing to get into their hands. Franciszek Kolano escaped from the workshop and managed to warn the family. At first Dymeks had asked their friend to hide Bianka, and then went with her to the family of Franciszek Kolano to the village Groble in the Nisko district where they stayed until 1946.

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On June 19, 1989 Franciszek and Katarzyna Kolano as well as Franciszek and Bronisława Dymek were awarded the medal of the “Righteous Among the Nations”.

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See also:

Dymek and Kolano familes on Yad Vashem database