Arczynski Ferdynand
Ferdynand Arczyński
born 8 December 1900 in Kraków (małopolskie) – died 16 February 1979 in Warszawa (mazowieckie)
Recognized as the Righteous Among the Nations:
18 May 1965
- Ferdynand Arczyński
Story of Rescue
September 2010, Wirtualny Sztetl
Marek Ferdynand Arczyński, pseudonym "Janek" – Marek Łukowski was a Polish social and political activist. He took part in the Sląsk uprising. During World War II, he was connected with the Democratic Front in Kraków and from 1943, with the Polish Democratic Front.
In 1942, Arczyński was one of the instigators of the Polish Council to Aid Jews (“Żegota”) with the agreement of the Government Delegation. Between 1942-1945, he was a member of its presidium and served as treasurer. He also supervised the work of the Legalization Department which produced fake documents for Jews in hiding – works permits, identity cards, passes, marriage certificates, etc..
Arczyński wrote of his activities, "The Council provided legitimisation documents (...) for Jews in hiding (...) accepting no fee for them (...). Six people worked at drafting them (…). They were created with unprecedented accuracy and precision, so that the Germans could in no way recognise them (...). Part of the printing was done in secret by the Social Democrats at 41 Nowy Swiat. (Source: Michał Grynberg, Editor, The Book of the Righteous, Warsaw 1993).