Maria Teresa Bartnik was born in Wołomin, Poland, on March 10, 1931. She was the daughter of Edmund and Irena (née Borysoglebska)
Maria Teresa Bartnik was born in Wołomin, Poland, on March 10, 1931. She was the daughter of Edmund and Irena (née Borysoglebska). She had an older brother, Jerzy. Maria was a Christian. In 1939, the Nazis invaded Poland. Maria’s family was extremely patriotic and deeply opposed the Nazis. Her father was arrested in late 1939 for partisan activities. He was sent to Stutthof, where he was killed. Maria’s mother and aunt were also a part of the Polish underground. Life was difficult for them during the war, but the family maintained their resistance work. In the spring of 1943, Maria’s mother and aunt were betrayed and arrested. The two women and their children were sent to prison and investigated. The children (Maria, Jerzy, and their five year old cousin) were released eventually. Their mothers were sent to Auschwitz and murdered. By age twelve, Maria had been orphaned by the Nazis. In the summer of 1944, the Warsaw Uprising began. Maria and her brother both joined in ...
