Comments on: The Biography of Katarzyna Dańko http://stephendanko.com/blog/2007/08/30/the-biography-of-katarzyna-danko/ Documenting the Search for My Family History Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:37:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Janice Brown http://stephendanko.com/blog/2007/08/30/the-biography-of-katarzyna-danko/#comment-19762 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:02:54 +0000 http://stephendanko.com/blog/2007/08/30/the-biography-of-katarzyna-danko/#comment-19762 Steve, How carefully Kasia documented her family story! Considering the odds against them, it is remarkable that any of that family survived. Thank you for sharing that with us, and for making us pause, even if for a moment, to acknowledge the families lost to us. Janice Steve,

How carefully Kasia documented her family story! Considering the odds against them, it is remarkable that any of that family survived. Thank you for sharing that with us, and for making us pause, even if for a moment, to acknowledge the families lost to us.

Janice

]]> by: Apple http://stephendanko.com/blog/2007/08/30/the-biography-of-katarzyna-danko/#comment-19617 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 11:52:41 +0000 http://stephendanko.com/blog/2007/08/30/the-biography-of-katarzyna-danko/#comment-19617 Such a sad story. My knowledge of WWII history is sadly lacking. Such a sad story. My knowledge of WWII history is sadly lacking.

]]> by: Administrator http://stephendanko.com/blog/2007/08/30/the-biography-of-katarzyna-danko/#comment-19363 Sat, 01 Sep 2007 07:15:22 +0000 http://stephendanko.com/blog/2007/08/30/the-biography-of-katarzyna-danko/#comment-19363 Hi Miriam, It is, indeed, amazing that Katarzyna's story survived. This biography says that "It is estimated that about 108 thousand people from eastern Poland were arrested and sent to the Gulag. Next, 320 thousand people were deported to the villages in the far north of Russia and Kazakhstan." Other sources tell us that 1.6-1.7 million Polish citizens found themselves in Soviet Russia during World War II. Only 500,000 survived. I also have a copy of the biography of Wiktor Dziurzyński, to whom I may be related through my paternal grandmother. Wiktor was arrested and assassinated by the NKVD during World War II. His family was also deported, but they survived to tell the tale. During and after World War II, the story of the Polish deportees was quietly suppressed and most Americans have never heard about these events called the "Forgotten Odyssey". Steve Hi Miriam,

It is, indeed, amazing that Katarzyna’s story survived. This biography says that “It is estimated that about 108 thousand people from eastern Poland were arrested and sent to the Gulag. Next, 320 thousand people were deported to the villages in the far north of Russia and Kazakhstan.”

Other sources tell us that 1.6-1.7 million Polish citizens found themselves in Soviet Russia during World War II. Only 500,000 survived.

I also have a copy of the biography of Wiktor Dziurzyński, to whom I may be related through my paternal grandmother. Wiktor was arrested and assassinated by the NKVD during World War II. His family was also deported, but they survived to tell the tale.

During and after World War II, the story of the Polish deportees was quietly suppressed and most Americans have never heard about these events called the “Forgotten Odyssey”.

Steve

]]> by: Miriam http://stephendanko.com/blog/2007/08/30/the-biography-of-katarzyna-danko/#comment-19146 Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:45:59 +0000 http://stephendanko.com/blog/2007/08/30/the-biography-of-katarzyna-danko/#comment-19146 What an intriguing and tragic story! It is amazing that Katarzyna's story survived, and probably only did so because her daughter eventually returned to Poland. I am sure there were thousands of Polish deportees to Russia whose biographies, if written, would simply end with a statement that they were deported to the Gulag or North Russia, with no one ever knowing what happened to them. What an intriguing and tragic story! It is amazing that Katarzyna’s story survived, and probably only did so because her daughter eventually returned to Poland. I am sure there were thousands of Polish deportees to Russia whose biographies, if written, would simply end with a statement that they were deported to the Gulag or North Russia, with no one ever knowing what happened to them.

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