Józef Paczyński

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Józef Paczyński
Born(1920-01-20)20 January 1920
Łękawica
Died26 April 2015(2015-04-26) (aged 95)
Kraków
Burial placeRakowicki Cemetery
Nationality Poland
Occupation(s)barber, mechanical engineer, teacher
Honours

Józef Paczyński (20 January 1920 in Łękawica – 26 April 2015 in Kraków)[1] was a Polish man who was known for having been the personal barber of Rudolf Höss during the time he spent as a prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Biography[edit]

At the age of 19, Paczyński was captured by the Nazis when trying to cross into Slovakia to join Polish freedom fighters in France.[2] In June 1940, he was transported to Auschwitz, where he was assigned prisoner number 121.[3] At the camp, he was assigned to work in a barbershop. One day, Höss visited the shop and chose Paczyński to come to Höss's home at the edge of the camp to cut his hair.[3] Paczyński continued to cut Höss's hair weekly for nearly four years, during which time Höss never spoke to him.[3] He has said that although he could have used his tools to slit Höss's throat during this time, he did not, because he and many others would have been killed as a consequence.[4]

He was moved from Auschwitz to Loslau on 18 January 1945, making him one of the longest-surviving prisoners in the camp.[3] After being moved, he was later liberated by American troops in Germany.[3] After the war, he became a mechanical engineer and teacher.[3] In 2001, he received the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (English: Order of Rebirth of Poland).[2] He was also awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.[5]

Paczyński died on 26 April 2015, at the age of 95.[2] He was buried in the Rakowicki Cemetery, Kraków.[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Jozef Paczynski, holocaust survivor - obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 5 May 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Roberts, Sam (1 May 2015). "Jozef Paczynski, Inmate Barber to Auschwitz Commandant, Dies at 95". New York Times. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Auschwitz commandant's barber Jozef Paczynski dies aged 95". The Guardian. Associated Press. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  4. ^ "Why the Auschwitz commander's barber didn't slit his throat". New York Post. Associated Press. 7 February 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  5. ^ "Józef Paczyński, Kraków, 29.04.2015 - pozostałe". nekrologi.wyborcza.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2019-09-21.
  6. ^ Mruszczak, Gabriela (2015-05-05). "Pożegnano Józefa Paczyńskiego, jednego z pierwszych więźniów Auschwitz". krakow.tvp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2019-09-21.
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