Krakow
Poland
Emilia Leibel
Emilia Leibel, nee Grossbart, was born in 1911 in Łagiewniki, a village that later became a district of Kraków. The family from her father’s side was large and lived in Kraków and in the area for many generations.
Emilia Leibel with her friend Zosia Tygner on vacation in Zakopane
Emilia Leibel, nee Grossbart, was born in 1911 in Łagiewniki, a village that later became a district of Kraków. The family from her father’s side was large and lived in Kraków and in the area for many generations. The family was well off, most of its members were traders, but not only that - there were also lawyers among them. Emilia’s mother was from Dębica, and Emilia remembered a portrait of the Emperor Franz Joseph hanging in the dining room – her family being loyal and proud citizens of Austria-Hungary before the First World War. Emilia's family was religious - they kept kosher and observed the Shabbat. Her grandparents and parents went to services at the synagogue in Podgórze, because there was no Jewish house of prayer in Łagiewniki. There were very few Jewish families in the area, so as a child Emilia played mostly with local Christian children.
Emila Leibel with her parents Ester (Hadasa) and Bencyjon Grossbart
When Emilia and her brother Jehuda started school, the family moved to Podgórze. Emilia went to a public school at Józefińska Street, and her brother to a Protestant school that accepted Jewish children. After elementary schools, Emilia and Jehuda attended the Chaim Hilfstein Hebrew Gymnasium in Kraków. After passing the final exams and working for one year to earn some money, Emilia was admitted to the Jagiellonian University. As a university student, she experienced antisemitism for the first time. She didn’t graduate – she left the university after 3 years. Sadly, Emilia’s brother Jehuda died at a young age in 1926. Emilia married her very distant relative and her father’s business partner, Juliusz Leibel. Their wedding took place in 1933, only 3 months after the proposal. They spent their honeymoon in Italy. After getting married they lived in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, a small town south from Kraków. Their daughter Halina was born in 1934.
Mrs. Leibel with her pupils in the Polish gymnasium in Koz'modem'yansk
With the outbreak of the Second World War, the family fled to the eastern part of Poland – they traveled separately: Emilia escaped with Halina, and Juliusz joined them later in Jarosław. They tried to get to Romania, but without success, and ended up in Lviv. Together with thousands of Polish citizens – Christian and Jewish – they were deported by the Soviets in the spring of 1940. After 3 weeks of journey by train, they reached the town of Volga, and from there sailed to Kozmodemyansk in Kazan area. In Kozmodemyansk Juliusz was sent to work in the forest – cutting down trees and chopping wood. Emilia worked as a gardener. The harsh living conditions and hard physical labour in extreme temperatures caused Juliusz’s health problems. After a long stay in hospital, he died in March 1944. Emilia worked in a Polish school in Kozmodemyansk, hired by the Union of Polish Patriots – a communist organization. Her daughter Halina went to school in Kozmodemyansk together with other Polish and Jewish children. They stayed in Soviet Union until 1946 – only then a transport was organized for Polish deportees to return home.
Emilia Leibel at her Polish friends’ home during Pesach festivities
After returning to Kraków, Emilia contacted the local Jewish Committee at 38 Długa Street, to learn about the fate of her family members. She started working in Jewish Children’s Home, taking care of orphans and children whose parents were in extremely difficult situations. Her daughter Halina lived in this children’s home too. Emilia worked there for 5 years. Throughout her entire professional life, Emilia was involved in education - first in the Society of Friends of Children, later in vocational education. She was a member of the Polish Teachers' Union. Her daughter Halina worked as a Russian translator after finishing school. Emilia lived in Krakow until the end of her life.
