Zhytomyr | 25 March – 12 April | Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University | 40, Velyka Berdychivska Str. | Admission is free

We kindly invite you all to the opening of “The Samaritans of Markowa”, an exhibition about the Ulmas – a Polish Family Murdered by Nazi Germans for Aiding Jews.

During World War II, on 24 March 1944, the German police shot the Ulm family and two Jewish families – the Szalls and Goldmans.

Józef and Wiktoria Ulm lived in Markowa, a village about 300 km away from Warsaw. Joseph was a farmer, also interested in photography, gardening, silkworm breeding, machinery construction. He was also active in the youth and cooperative movements. Wiktoria took care of home and children: Staś, Basia, Władzio, Franuś, Antoś, Marysia. (…)

In Markowa large part of the local Jewish community was murdered by Nazi Germans on the spot. Some escaped and hid in peasants’ homes. 25 Jews were hiding in 6 huts. Two families – Szalls and Goldmans – were hidden by the Ulms. It was great heroism. In occupied Poland, in contrast to Western Europe, helping Jews was punishable with death.

Punitive expedition of the German police appeared in Markowa on 24 March 1944. All household members, including the hidden Jews were shot.

In 1995 Józef and Wiktoria were included to the Righteous Among the Nations. In 2003 the Catholic Church began the beatification process of the Ulm family. In 2004 a monument was unveiled. 2016 marks the opening of the museum devoted to Poles saving Jews located in Markowa.