// Anna Stupnicka
Warsaw, Poland… 1941 – Anna Stupnicka was twelve years old when she and her mother, Janina, smuggled food and books into the Warsaw ghetto. During the winter of 1941, Anna and Janina smuggled eleven-year-old Liliana out of the ghetto by dressing Liliana in Anna’s Catholic school uniform, enabling Liliana to pass as a Christian. Anna never forgot how Liliana’s father cried as he said his final goodbye to his only daughter dressed in a navy blue coat and a beret with the edelweiss symbol.
Liliana lived as Anna’s cousin in their two-room apartment in Warsaw for the next four years until liberation in 1945. Janina obtained false identification papers for Liliana under Janina’s maiden name. Anna, Janina, and Liliana lived in a constant state of fear. Their neighbors kept asking questions about Liliana, but Anna and Janina always misled them. During the summer, Janina would take Anna and Liliana to the country.
During the war, Anna and Janina hid several other Jews. Ryszard Grynberg, who was hiding with Anna’s aunt, found temporary shelter with Anna and her mother. Janina and Anna also obtained a kennkarte (identity document) for Mikolaj Borenstein, which allowed him to work.
All of the Jews helped by Anna and Janina survived the war. After the war, Liliana immigrated to France.
Anna is in her 80s and continues to live in Warsaw.
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Anna Stupnicka
Anna Stupnicka
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