RADZIO, Aldona – widow of Jerzy Radzio (1925-2005)
In 1942, after the liquidation of the Legionow ghetto, near Warsaw, Samuel Batz, his wife, Dvora, and brother-in-law, Abram Lipszyc, were sent to the nearby Tarchomin camp where they were employed locally as forced laborers, while Lea Batz, Samuel’s mother, hid nearby. During a work break, Samuel Batz met Jerzy and Sławomir Radzio, two local lads, with whom he became friendly. In October 1942, when the labor camp was about to be liquidated, the Radzio brothers decided to save the lives of the four members of the Batz family. At first, they transferred Lea Batz to their home, followed by her son and daughter-in-law, and finally Abram Lipszyc, and hid them in their attic.
The Radzio brothers lived in the Zeran neighborhood of Warsaw, in a two-roomed apartment, which they shared with their widowed mother, Helena, and sister, Maria. The refugees paid the Radzios, who lived entirely off the salary of one of the brothers, for the cost of their upkeep but even when their money ran out, the Radzios shared all their food with them. For about two years, the Radzios looked after their charges and saw to all their needs, until September 1944, when the area was liberated. During this period, they experienced many anxious moments, especially when a German army unit was stationed nearby, and a German army doctor came to live with them for a while, right next to the entrance to the hiding place. Under these circumstances, the Radzios arranged for their charges to stay with their acquaintances, until the Germans left. In risking their lives for their charges, the Radzios were guided by humanitarian motives, which overrode considerations of personal safety or economic hardship. After the war, the survivors immigrated to Israel.
On May 2, 1985, Yad Vashem recognized Helena Radzio, and her children, Sławomir, Maria and Jerzy, as Righteous Among the Nations
