Misplaced Pages

108 Martyrs of World War II
John Paul II during his visit to Poland in June 1999, Warsaw
Born	of Polish nationality
Died	in 1939–1945
Martyred by	German Nazis
Venerated in	Catholic Church
Beatified	13 June 1999, Warsaw, Poland, by Pope John Paul II
Feast	12 June
Notable martyrs	Antoni Julian Nowowiejski Jan Franciszek Czartoryski Hilary Paweł Januszewski Józef Cebula

The 108 Martyrs of World War II, known also as the 108 Blessed Polish Martyrs (Polish: 108 błogosławionych męczenników), were Catholics from Poland killed during World War II by Nazi Germany.

Their liturgical feast day is 12 June. The 108 were beatified on 13 June 1999 by Pope John Paul II in Warsaw, Poland. The group comprises 3 bishops, 79 priests, 7 male religious, 8 female religious, and 11 lay people. There are two parishes named for the 108 Martyrs of World War II in Powiercie in Koło County, and in Malbork, Poland.

List of Martyrs

Part of a series on
Persecutions of the Catholic Church
Overview Historical persecution of Christians Catholic Church persecutions 1939–1958 Eradication of the Church under Stalinism Eastern Catholic persecutions Persecution of Christians in the modern era
Roman Empire Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire Diocletianic Persecution
Neo-Persian Empire Sasanian conquest of Jerusalem
Byzantine Empire Massacre of the Latins
Muslim world Muslim conquests Conversion of non-Islamic places of worship into mosques Armenian genocide Assyrian genocide Greek genocide Kosheh massacres
Saudi Arabia Christianity in Saudi Arabia
Sudan Christianity in Sudan
Egypt Maspero demonstrations
Islamic terrorism Genocide of Christians by the Islamic State
Japan Martyrs of Japan
European wars of religion Thirty Years' War Reformation
Canada Canadian Martyrs 2021 Canadian church burnings
France Dechristianization of France during the French Revolution War in the Vendée Martyrs of Compiègne Massacre in the Rue Haxo
Mexico Cristero War Iniquis afflictisque Acerba animi Saints José Sánchez del Río Anti-clericalism in Mexico Miguel Pro
Spain Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War Red Terror Dilectissima Nobis Martyrs of Turon Martyrs of Daimiel Bartolomé Blanco Innocencio of Mary Immaculate José María of Manila 233 Spanish Martyrs 498 Spanish Martyrs 522 Spanish Martyrs Burning of convents in Spain (1931)
NetherlandsTitus Brandsma
Germany Nazi persecution of the Catholic Church in Germany Mit brennender Sorge Alfred Delp Alois Grimm Rupert Mayer Bernhard Lichtenberg Max Josef Metzger Karl Leisner Erich Klausener Kulturkampf
China Martyr Saints of China Auguste Chapdelaine Persecution of Christians in China Ad Sinarum gentem Cupimus Imprimis Ad Apostolorum principis Ignatius Kung Pin-Mei Beda Chang Dominic Tang
Vietnam Vietnamese Martyrs Andrew of Phú Yên Nguyễn Văn Thuận Trương Bửu Diệp Marcel Nguyễn Tân Văn
Poland Nazi persecution of the Catholic Church in Poland Maksymilian Kolbe Polish anti-religious campaign 1945–1990 Stefan Wyszyński 108 Blessed Polish Martyrs Policies In Poloniae annalibus Gloriosam Reginam Invicti athletae Jerzy Popiełuszko
Eastern Europe József Mindszenty Eugene Bossilkov Severian Baranyk Josef Beran Drina Martyrs Zynoviy Kovalyk Aloysius Stepinac Meminisse iuvat Anni sacri Sára Salkaházi Walter Ciszek Pietro Leoni Theodore Romzha
India Violence against Christians in India 2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka Devasahayam Pillai
El Salvador Four U.S. missionaries Ignacio Ellacuría Rutilio Grande Ignacio Martín-Baró Segundo Montes Óscar Romero 1989 murders of Jesuits
NigeriaReligious violence in Nigeria
Guatemala Stanley Rother
Great Britain and Ireland Anti-Catholicism in the United Kingdom List of Catholic martyrs of the English Reformation Forty Martyrs of England and Wales Irish Catholic Martyrs Dissolution of the Monasteries Penal Laws Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
United States James Coyle Know Nothing The Menace Oregon Compulsory Education Act Pierce v. Society of Sisters Philadelphia nativist riots Ursuline Convent riots
Philippines Lorenzo Ruiz Pedro Calungsod Gomburza
Turkey Murder of Andrea Santoro
North Korea Catholic Church in North Korea
Norway Anti-Catholicism in Norway
Russia Martyrs of Pratulin Conversion of Chelm Eparchy Anti-Catholicism in the Soviet Union Eastern Catholic victims of Soviet persecutions
Catholicism portal
v t e

Bishops

1. Antoni Julian Nowowiejski (1858–1941 KL Soldau), bishop
2. Leon Wetmański (1886–1941 KL Soldau), bishop
3. Władysław Goral [pl] (1898–1945 KL Sachsenhausen), bishop

Priests

1. Adam Bargielski, priest from Myszyniec (1903–1942 KZ Dachau)
2. Aleksy Sobaszek, priest (1895–1942 KL Dachau)
3. Alfons Maria Mazurek, Carmelite friar, prior, priest (1891–1944, shot by the Gestapo)
4. Alojzy Liguda, Society of the Divine Word, priest (1898–1942 KL Dachau)
5. Anastazy Jakub Pankiewicz, Franciscan friar, priest (1882–1942 KL Dachau)
6. Anicet Kopliński, Capuchin friar, priest in Warsaw (1875–1941)
7. Antoni Beszta-Borowski, priest, dean of Bielsk Podlaski (1880–1943, shot near Bielsk Podlaski)
8. Antoni Leszczewicz, Marian Father, priest (1890–1943, burnt to death in Rosica, Belarus)
9. Antoni Rewera, priest, dean of the Cathedral Chapter in Sandomierz (1869–1942 KL Dachau)
10. Antoni Świadek, priest from Bydgoszcz (1909–1945 KL Dachau)
11. Antoni Zawistowski, priest (1882–1942 KL Dachau)
12. Bolesław Strzelecki, priest (1896–1941 KL Auschwitz)
13. Bronisław Komorowski, priest (1889–22 March 1940 KL Stutthof)
14. Dominik Jędrzejewski, priest (1886–1942 KL Dachau)
15. Edward Detkens, priest (1885–1942 KL Dachau)
16. Edward Grzymała, priest (1906–1942 KL Dachau)
17. Emil Szramek, priest (1887–1942 KL Dachau)
18. Fidelis Chojnacki, Capuchin friar, priest (1906–1942, KL Dachau)
19. Florian Stępniak, Capuchin friar, priest (1912–1942 KL Dachau)
20. Franciszek Dachtera, priest (1910–23 August 1942 KL Dachau)
21. Franciszek Drzewiecki [pl], Orionine Father, priest (1908–1942 KL Dachau); from Zduny, he was condemned to heavy work in the plantation of Dachau. While he was bending over tilling the soil, he adored the consecrated hosts kept in a small box in front of him. While he was going to the gas chamber, he encouraged his companions, saying "We offer our life for God, for the Church and for our Country".
22. Franciszek Rogaczewski, priest from Gdańsk (1892–1940, shot in Stutthof or in Piaśnica, Pomerania)
23. Franciszek Rosłaniec, priest (1889–1942 KL Dachau)
24. Henryk Hlebowicz, priest (1904–1941, shot at Borisov in Belarus)
25. Henryk Kaczorowski, priest from Włocławek (1888–1942)
26. Henryk Krzysztofik, religious priest (1908–1942 KL Dachau)
27. Hilary Paweł Januszewski, religious priest (1907–1945 KL Dachau)
28. Jan Antonin Bajewski, Conventual Franciscan friar, priest (1915–1941 KL Auschwitz); of Niepokalanow. These were the closest collaborators of St Maximilian Kolbe in the fight for God's cause and together suffered and helped each other spiritually in their offering their lives at Auschwitz
29. Jan Franciszek Czartoryski, Dominican friar, priest (1897–1944)
30. Jan Nepomucen Chrzan, priest (1885–1942 KL Dachau)
31. Jerzy Kaszyra, Marian Father, priest (1910–1943, burnt to death in Rosica, Belarus)
32. Józef Achilles Puchała, Franciscan friar, priest (1911–1943, killed near Iwieniec, Belarus)
33. Józef Cebula, Missionary Oblate, priest (23 March 1902 – 9 May 1941 KL Mauthausen)
34. Józef Czempiel, priest (1883–1942 KL Mauthausen)
35. Józef Innocenty Guz, Franciscan friar, priest (1890–1940 KL Sachsenhausen)
36. Józef Jankowski, Pallotine, priest (1910 born in Czyczkowy near Brusy, Kashubia (died 16 October 1941 in KL Auschwitz beaten by a kapo)
37. Józef Kowalski, Salesian, priest (1911–1942)

    

38. Józef Kurzawa, priest (1910–1940)
39. Józef Kut, priest (1905–1942 KL Dachau)
40. Józef Pawłowski, priest (1890–9 January 1942 KL Dachau)
41. Józef Stanek, Pallottine, priest (1916–23 September 1944, murdered in Warsaw)
42. Józef Straszewski, priest (1885–1942 KL Dachau)
43. Karol Herman Stępień, Franciscan friar, priest (1910–1943, killed near Iwieniec, Belarus)
44. Kazimierz Gostyński, priest (1884–1942 KL Dachau)
45. Kazimierz Grelewski, priest (1907–1942 KL Dachau)
46. Kazimierz Sykulski, priest (1882–1942 KL Auschwitz)
47. Krystyn Gondek, Franciscan friar, priest (1909–1942 KL Dachau)
48. Leon Nowakowski, priest (1913–1939)
49. Ludwik Mzyk, Society of the Divine Word, priest (1905–1940)
50. Ludwik Pius Bartosik, Conventual Franciscan friar, priest (1909–1941 KL Auschwitz); of Niepokalanow. These were the closest collaborators of St Maximilian Kolbe in the fight for God's cause and together suffered and helped each other spiritually in their offering their lives at Auschwitz
51. Ludwik Roch Gietyngier, priest from Częstochowa (1904–1941 KL Dachau)
52. Maksymilian Binkiewicz, priest (1913–24 July 1942, beaten, died in KL Dachau)
53. Marian Gorecki, priest (1903–22 March 1940 KL Stutthof)
54. Marian Konopiński, Capuchin friar, priest (1907–1 January 1943 KL Dachau)
55. Marian Skrzypczak, priest (1909–1939 shot in Plonkowo)
56. Michał Oziębłowski, priest (1900–1942 KL Dachau)
57. Michał Piaszczyński, priest (1885–1940 KL Sachsenhausen)
58. Michał Woźniak, priest (1875–1942 KL Dachau)
59. Mieczysław Bohatkiewicz, priest (1904–4 March 1942, shot in Berezwecz)
60. Narcyz Putz, priest (1877–1942 KL Dachau)
61. Narcyz Turchan, priest (1879–1942 KL Dachau)
62. Piotr Edward Dankowski, priest (1908–3 April 1942 KL Auschwitz)
63. Roman Archutowski, priest (1882–1943 KL Majdanek)
64. Roman Sitko, priest (1880–1942 KL Auschwitz)
65. Stanisław Kubista, Society of the Divine Word, priest (1898–1940 KL Sachsenhausen)
66. Stanisław Kubski, priest (1876–1942, prisoner in KL Dachau, killed in Hartheim near Linz)
67. Stanisław Mysakowski, priest (1896–1942 KL Dachau)
68. Stanisław Pyrtek, priest (1913–4 March 1942, shot in Berezwecz)
69. Stefan Grelewski, priest (1899–1941 KL Dachau)
70. Wincenty Matuszewski, priest (1869–1940)
71. Władysław Błądziński, Michaelite, priest (1908–1944, KL Gross-Rosen)
72. Władysław Demski, priest (1884–28 May 1940, KL Sachsenhausen)
73. Władysław Maćkowiak, priest (1910–4 March 1942 shot in Berezwecz)
74. Władysław Mączkowski, priest (1911–20 August 1942 KL Dachau)
75. Władysław Miegoń, priest, commander lieutenant (1892–1942 KL Dachau)
76. Włodzimierz Laskowski, priest (1886–1940 KL Gusen)
77. Wojciech Nierychlewski, religious, priest (1903–1942, KL Auschwitz)
78. Zygmunt Pisarski, priest (1902–1943)
79. Zygmunt Sajna, priest (1897–1940, shot at Palmiry, near Warsaw)

Religious brothers

1. Brunon Zembol, friar (1905–1942 KL Dachau)
2. Grzegorz Bolesław Frąckowiak, Society of the Divine Word friar (1911–1943, guillotined in Dresden)
3. Józef Zapłata, friar (1904–1945 KL Dachau)
4. Marcin Oprządek, friar (1884–1942 KL Dachau)
5. Piotr Bonifacy Żukowski, friar (1913–1942 KL Auschwitz)
6. Stanisław Tymoteusz Trojanowski, friar (1908–1942 KL Auschwitz)
7. Symforian Ducki, friar (1888–1942 KL Auschwitz)

Nuns and religious sisters

1. Alicja Maria Jadwiga Kotowska, sister, based on eye-witness reports comforted and huddled with Jewish children before she and the children were executed (1899–1939, executed at Piaśnica, Pomerania)
2. Ewa Noiszewska, sister (1885–1942, executed at Góra Pietrelewicka near Slonim, Belarus)
3. Julia Rodzińska, Dominican sister (1899–20 February 1945, KL Stutthof); she died having contracted typhoid serving the Jewish women prisoners in a hut for which she had volunteered.
4. Katarzyna Celestyna Faron (1913–1944, KL Auschwitz); (1913–1944), had offered her life for the conversion of an Old Catholic bishop Władysław Faron (no relation). She was arrested by the Gestapo and condemned to Auschwitz camp. She put up heroically with all the abuses of the camp and died on Easter Sunday 1944. The bishop later returned to the Catholic Church.
5. Maria Antonina Kratochwil, SSND nun (1881–1942) died as a result of the torture she endured while imprisoned in Stanisławów.
6. Maria Klemensa Staszewska (1890–1943 KL Auschwitz)
7. Marta Wołowska (1879–1942, executed at Góra Pietrelewicka near Slonim, Belarus)
8. Mieczysława Kowalska, sister (1902–1941, Soldau concentration camp in Działdowo)

Roman Catholic laity

1. Bronisław Kostkowski, alumnus (1915–1942 KL Dachau)
2. Czesław Jóźwiak (1919–1942, guillotined in a prison in Dresden)
3. Edward Kaźmierski (1919–1942, guillotined in a prison in Dresden)
4. Edward Klinik (1919–1942, guillotined in a prison in Dresden)
5. Franciszek Kęsy (1920–1942, guillotined in a prison in Dresden)
6. Franciszek Stryjas (1882–31 July 1944, Kalisz prison)
7. Jarogniew Wojciechowski (1922–1942, guillotined in a prison in Dresden)
8. Marianna Biernacka (1888–13 July 1943), executed instead of her pregnant daughter-in-law Anna, offered her life for her and her unborn grandchild.
9. Natalia Tułasiewicz (1906–31 March 1945, died in KL Ravensbrück)
10. Stanisław Starowieyski (1895–1941 in KL Dachau)
11. Tadeusz Dulny, alumnus (1914–1942 KL Dachau)

See also

• Jewish ghettos in German-occupied Poland
• List of Nazi-German concentration camps
• Nazi persecution of the Catholic Church in Poland
• Polish Righteous Among the Nations
• The Holocaust in Poland
• Janek Wiśniewski, a fictional name to the real Polish person
• World War II casualties of Poland
• Monument to fallen Shipyard Workers
• Polish 1970 protests

References

1. Terry Jones. "108 Martyrs of World War Two". Catholic Forum. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008.
2. "Blessed Jozef Cebula, O.M.I." Oblates. 62 (5). September–October 2005. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
3. Terry Jones. "Jozef Kowalski". Catholic Forum. Archived from the original on 29 February 2008.

• Biography
• Catholicism
• Poland
• Germany
• Politics

• 108 Blessed Polish Martyrs
• Beatifications by Pope John Paul II
• Polish beatified people
• Lists of Christian martyrs
• Victims of human rights abuses
• Polish civilians killed in World War II
• Nazi massacres of Poles in World War II
• 20th-century venerated Christians
• Catholic saints and blesseds of the Nazi era