Although many people managed to hide, Germans seized Jews attempting to run away from the village: married couple named Wandelsman with their daughter and son-in-law Naftul.Two people were shot on the spot - Pawel Wandelsman and Róża Naftul - others taken by gendarmes.
On January 29, 1943, German gendarmes returned to Wierzbica accompanied by Naftul who agreed to show them who was hiding Jewish families.
First, he pointed out the farm of the Książek family, who, as it turned out, "[...] kept the whole Jewish family with children". During the search, Germans found there Jewish couple and shot them together with all the Poles hiding them - Franciszek Ksiażek (50 years old father of the family), Julia Książek (his 40 years old wife), and their sons - 21 years old Jan and 18 years old Zygmunt.
Afterwards, Germans went to the house of the Nowak family. There they found Jewish man named Wandelsman. He was immediately shot together with his Polish hosts: Mr Nowak and his five-year-old daughter.
Next place where Naftul led Germans was a small farm in Wierzbica owned by Kucharski family where Naftul was hiding before his capture. Germans found there Izydor Kucharski together with his wife Anna and their five sons - Mieczyslaw (15), Bronislaw (12), Boleslaw (9) and twins Józef and Stefan (7), as well as Anna's mother - Julianna Ostrowska (86). When Naftul confirmed that he was hiding at Kucharskis' for six weeks all adults - Julianna, Anna and Izydor - were brought out of the house and shot. Then Germans brought out all the children one by one and gendarmes shot them at the very place where the parents were lying - this is how the events were described by the Bronislaw, whosurvived despite being shot at the left temple. He lost his sight. His father, Izydor, also survived, being only wounded and loosing sight in his right eye.
From Wierzbica, the gendarmes went to the hamlet of Narta (part of the village of Wolica). They stopped in front of Balbina Bielawska's house. There they shot Balbina, her pregnant daughter Władysława and her son-in-law, Jan Gądek. It turned out that Władysława and Jan gave shelter to Jews from the Wandelsman family. Most likely, Wandelsmans were close friends of Jan; they had lived in Wierzbica for a long time and did not want to move to the ghetto as ordered by Germans.
Still in Narta, Germans stopped Stanislaw Tochowic, local butcher. Heading back to the gendarmerie station in Kozłów, in the village of Żabieniec Germans shot Stanisław and Naftul.
Apart from Stanisław who became accidental victim of the murderous expedition, 15 Poles died on that day for their efforts to save their Jewish neighbours:
Apart from Stanisław who became accidental victim of the murderous expedition, 15 Poles died on that day for their efforts to save their Jewish neighbours:
Bielawska Balbina
Gądek Władysława
Gądek Jan
Książek Franciszek
Książek Julia
Książek Jan
Książek Zygmunt
Kucharska Anna
Kucharski Bolesław
Kucharski Józef
Kucharski Mieczysław
Kucharski Stefan
Nowak, house owner
Nowak, 5 year old daughter
Ostrowska Julianna
None of the murdered Poles, who were killed as a punishment for helping the Jews, has been in any way commemorated until now. Their sacrifice is not recognized by Yad Vashem.
For decades they were forgotten. Only recently - on May 5, 2019 - the commemorative plaque was unveiled in Wierzbica.
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