A film record of the memories of Krakow citizens
about the experiences of 1939-1956
Dorota Franaszkowa née Girtler
The "Save the Memory" project is a series of video interviews with witnesses of history from 1939- 1956. It was created to preserve the memories and experiences of the heroes and heroines from this period.
At the beginning of the film. the logos of the Polish History Museum are illustrated, featuring a yellow crown, gray wings, and the letter "P" in red with the Polish flag in the center. Also detailed is the phrase ”Patriotism of Tomorrow” with the letter "P" in black. Underneath these icons, there is a white inscription "Project co-financed by the Museum of Polish History in Warsaw as part of the Patriotism of Tomorrow program."
The main character of the film is Dorota Franaszkowa, maiden name Girtler. She was born in 1925 and died in 2021. She was a Home Army liaison officer, alias "Stasia", from 1944 in the Independent
Partisan Battalion "Skała". After the war, she worked as a Polish language teacher.
The woman, 89 years old, is framed to her shoulders, with her hair pulled back, pinned up, gray hair, and a gentle gaze. Her lips are large and she is wearing square glasses. In the first shot, she is wearing a white shirt with blue horizontal stripes. In the following one, she is wearing a celadon shirt and large wooden beads. Initially, she sits in front of the camera, against a background of furniture. Then the frame focuses on the woman's left profile, the background is a light-colored fabric with printed stems with leaves in various shades of green.
Throughout the film, a woman reveals material from her private archive, photos of her family, badge
award cards and a graduation diploma.
At the end of the film appears a blackboard with the blue logo of the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow and the white logo of Oskar Schindler's Emalia Factory Lipowa 4. At the bottom is the website address www.ocalicpamiec.mhk.pl and the year of production - 2013.
Dorota Franaszkowa née Girtler
1925 – 2021
A black and white portrait photograph of Dorota Franaszkowa. The young woman has soft facial features and prominent cheekbones. She smiles slightly and doesn't look towards the lens. Her hair is pinned up.
Dorota Franaszkowa, family name: Girtler (Gürtler)), (born January 1, 1925 in Proszowice, died 19 February 2021 in Proszowice), daughter of Wanda (family name: Sikorska) and Mieczysław. Liaison officer of the Home Army (AK), pseudonym: Stasia. From 1944 soldier of Partisan Skała Battalion. After WWII a teacher of Polish.
During the occupation, Dorota Girtler continued her studies, which she had started before the war, in secret underground courses. In October 1942 she took her exams in fine arts under the supervision of Professor Ignacy Fik and in science under the supervision of Professor Tadeusz Piecha from Mining University.
On 15 August 1942 she joined ZWZ-AK in Igołomia. As a liaison officer, she delivered mail, distributed underground press, and transported a radio, weapons, and explosive materials to partisan squads.
From May 1944 she was a liaison officer for the commander of the Skała Battalion in Kraków, Major Jan Pańczakiewicz, pseudonyms: Skała, Ziemiowit. She cooperated with intelligence officer Tajny (Stanisław Matuszyk). She also acted as a nurse and transported the wounded to an underground nursing point in Pietrzejowice at Goszczyńscy’s place.
During the summer of 1944, Dorota Girtler escorted Cichociemni paratroopers, Captain Rudolf Dziadosza, pseudonym Zasaniec and Captain Walery Krokay, pseudonym, Siwy, from Kraków to the106 division in Proszowice, where they were handed over to another liaison officer. That other officer turned out to be her sister, Wanda.
The entire Girtler family was involved in the underground resistance movement. Their house in Igołomia was a meeting place for partisan squads Błyskawica, Grom, and Skok. Her mother Wanda Girtler (1896-1990) was a liaison officer as well and was responsible for the contact boxes in Igołomia and Proszowice. She was a member of The Central Welfare Council which helped prisoners of concentration camps and POWs. Her father, Michał Girtler (1892-1965), was a merchant and a soldier of the Polish Legions, a member of SZP-ZWZ-AK (pseudonyms: Kowal, Władek). He was arrested by the Germans, first in 1940, then in 1944 but he managed to escape when being transported to a concentration camp. Her sister Wanda Girtler (1920-1945), pseudonym Ewa, was a courier and liaison officer of 106 division. On 16 January 1945, she was delivering mail to Kazimierza Wielka when she was captured in the village of Kościelec by an NKWD squad (belonging to the Ukrainian Front I) under the command of General Iwan Koniew. The mail was discovered and Wanda Girtler was shot dead on the spot.
From July 1944, Dorota Girtler was a liaison officer with the Skała Battalion, taking part in military actions in Zaryszyn, Moczydło, Krzeszówka, Sadki and Złoty Potok. In August 1944, she carried out military intelligence missions in Chmielnik, Włoszczowa, and Jędrzejów in preparation for a march on Warsaw to help in the uprising.
After the war, Dorota Girtler was finally able to take her school graduation exams and in 1950 she graduated with an MA in Polish from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. She then became a teacher of Polish but was persecuted by the communist regime and dismissed from work for 15 months due to (according to the communist regime authorities) the lack of moral and socialistic qualifications required of a PRL (People’s Republic of Poland) teacher. Her father was arrested by the UB (Security Service) and was imprisoned for three months. Her home was occupied by the NKVD for three weeks.
Later, Dorota Girtler began to organize meetings of former underground resistance members and built memorial plaques commemorating the places where the Skała Battalion fought.
She was awarded numerous orders of merit: Krzyż Walecznych, Srebrny Krzyż Zasługi z Mieczami, Krzyż Armii Krajowej, Medal Wojska Polskiego, Złoty Krzyż Zasługi z Mieczami, Krzyż Kawalerski and Krzyż Partyzancki.
She was married to Mieczysław Franaszek (1920-2004) and had a son, a daughter, and 5 grandchildren.
Buried in the cemetery in Proszowice.
Gallery
Michał Girtler, Dorota’s father. C. 1916.
Michał Girtler in the 1940s.
Black and white photo of two men - Michał Girtler with a friend and a small young boy. They are in the countryside as trees and cottages can be seen in the background. The men are middle-aged and dressed in smart, dark suits and striped ties. Girtler is also wearing a hat and holding a walking stick. The boy is dressed in white shorts and a shirt.
Wanda Girtler, Dorota’s mother, in the 1930s.
A black-and-white photograph of a middle-aged woman - Dorota's mother, Wanda Girtler ( maiden name Sikorski). The portrait shows a woman framed from the chest up, looking away from the camera. Her features include an aquiline nose and low-set eyebrows. Her face has sharp features and her hair is tied at the back. She is dressed in a fur coat.
The Girtlers in the 1940s.
Black and white photo of the Girtler family taken in the 1940s. Three young women are standing side by side, captured from the waist up. They are smiling at the camera. Mr. and Mrs. Girtler are seated in front of them and are captured in a sitting position. Wanda appears serious and is dressed in a white collared blouse and a striped sweater. The man is smiling, looking into the lens. He is wearing a brown suit and tie.
Dorota Girtler and Klementyna Zienkiewicz. 1944.
Black and white photo of young Dorota Girtler with her friend, Klementyna Zienkiewicz. Both are captured from the knees up. In the background, there are birch trees and other deciduous trees. Dorota's hair is tied back in a bun. She is dressed in a dark blouse and long skirt. She is smiling while looking away from the camera. Her friend is sitting next to her with strawberry blonde curly hair. She is wearing a white and gray sweater and a dark skirt. She looks to the side.
Wanda Girtler, Dorota’s sister. 1944.
Black and white portrait photograph of Wanda Girtler - Dorota's sister. She is captured from the shoulders up. The woman is in her mid-twenties. The woman's eyebrows are rounded, she has narrow lips and curly shoulder-length hair. She is dressed in a dark blouse and jacket.
Dorota Girtler. 1945.
Black and white portrait photograph of twenty-year-old Dorota Girtler. She is captured from the shoulders up. The girl has her hair pinned back, thick, straight eyebrows and a button nose. She is dressed in a navy uniform. A piece of red Jagiellonian University stamp is visible in the lower right hand corner.
Srebrny Krzyż Zasługi z Mieczami certificate. London 1948.
Photo of ID card awarded to Dorota Franaszkowa with the Silver Cross of Merit with Swords. The document was issued by the Ministry of Defence. At the top, in the center, there is a crowned eagle. Below the crowned eagle, there is personal information and the contents of the legitimacy card. It was issued in 1949 in London.
Medal Wojska certificate. London 1948.
Certification of Dorota Franaszkowa Army Medal. The document was issued by the Ministry of Defence. The content contains data, such as the name and surname, the rank of the recipient and the date of issue. At the bottom is a hand written signature of the issuer - M. Wałęga.
University diploma. Kraków 1950
Double-sided graduation diploma from Jagiellonian University belonging to Dorota Franaszkowa. The document was issued in 1950 and contains personal information such as name, date of birth, and years of study. The woman graduated from the Faculty of Humanities at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, majoring in Polish Philology. On the left is a black-and-white portrait photograph of the young Dorota Girtler.
The Home Army certificate. London 1968.
The Cross of the Home Army certificate. Under the inscription is a ribbon with a cross pendant, on which is the symbol of Poland Fighting. There is a certificate number at the very bottom of the award.