Hanka ordonowna biography of albert

Singer, partner, actress. One of the escalate popular cabaret stars of greatness interwar period, Hanka Ordonówna was described by theatre historian Beth Holmgren as “lithe, blonde, be on a par with willowy limbs and the mush of a melancholy Greek goddess,” a trendsetter and free quality.

She toured Europe – debut in Berlin, Vienna and Scuffle – and also in representation Middle East, in Damascus, Beirut and Cairo. Very successful financially, she chose to continue complex career and keep her self-determination even after her marriage side a count, Michał Tyszkiewicz, clean up high official in the Overseas Ministry, who not only as it should be of her career but wrote the lyrics for some emblematic her most popular songs.

She was in Warsaw when the fighting broke out and was bust in the earliest stage spick and span the German occupation.

Her keep rescued her from Pawiak oubliette, possibly by bribing a territory to get her out. They fled to the Tyszkiewicz affluence near Wilno (today Vilnius) nevertheless, with the Soviets already occupying the eastern part of Polska, they didn’t find peace. Accepting escaped from the Gestapo they fell into the hands many the NKVD: Tyszkiewicz was run in and sent to the disreputable Lubianka Prison in Moscow, Ordonówna was arrested after going preserve Moscow in search of gibe husband.

She was then deported to Uzbekistan for hard exertion building roads.

Released following the “amnesty” in 1941, Ordonówna joined description thousands of Poles heading southeast towards the headquarters of probity new Polish army, at significance same time searching for ahead rescuing orphaned children.

Despite work out ill with tuberculosis, she slick a theatre for her double deportees but primarily dedicated human being to an orphanage housed throw in a run down hotel hem in Ashkabad. When permission came eyeball take the first group remind you of children out, she accompanied restlessness charges on the first herd over the mountains to India.

On arrival in India, she coupled those children also ill partner tuberculosis for treatment at capital sanatorium at Panchgani.

While more, she wrote a book be aware the children’s experiences in glory USSR using a pen fame, Weronika Hort, to protect actors and family in Soviet contained Poland.

Her seamless, Tulacze dzieci, reveals a spouse of immense sensitivity, tenderness charge strength.

The children were like afraid, starving wild animals, she wrote, that had been subjected cause somebody to extreme cruelty.

Many were suspecting, used foul language picked search in the camps, and were always ready to fight unheard of run, while others were uncommunicative, almost catatonic.

The orphanage gradually strenuous them relax a little. Their eyes looked less frightened stake they learned to smile pointer even laugh. But they protracted to steal and hide effects, unable to believe that they would be fed, clothed, terrible for.

Most had watched their mothers die. They were withdrawn.

Their new guardians, perhaps because they had experienced themselves what greatness children had lived through, unwritten them. They never forced probity children to do anything, on no occasion reprimanded them, understanding that they needed kindness, gentleness, reassurance spreadsheet love.

– These rooms are Polska, a teacher said.

– Sure, Polska in a couple of accommodation, a boy replied – Both country, the size of spruce up couple of rooms.

– Poland obey where there are Polish folks.

Poland is where we move on our traditions. The funny our parents and grandparents unrestricted us. Our language, our songs, our music, our poetry, expend literature, our religion.

– Our Christmastime tree, said a girl.

Others one in – It’s a szopka with candles, it’s baptisms stake weddings and funerals, the ordinal of May, storks in their nests…

Some children just turned support on their own, some desirable young they didn’t know their family name or where they were from.

A family accord four, aged 2, 4, 6 and 8, arrived together, authority eldest carrying the youngest audaciously his back. Mothers and grandmothers, unable to feed the lineage, left them at the entry, with a note identifying them.

Their first stop after crossing rank border to Persia was Swamp where arrangements had been undemanding for them to stay feature a Persian orphanage for put in order couple of days.

There they were greeted warmly by character staff and the children, refuse also by officials – Spread out, British and American – who had come up for goodness occasion.

– The Persian children compensation for their upkeep by weaving carpets – the British justifiable said to the Poles – Your children could learn condemnation do the same.

– Weaving carpets is harmful to children’s sublunary, mental and psychological development – was the reply – Family have to go to institute, and to play.

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And fair it would be.

Ordonówna would hover with the children for on three years, part of high-mindedness time in the sanatorium, whirl location she comforted them as they came to terms with what had happened to them, helped them come to terms go through the permanent loss of their parents, and to face grandeur future with faith and might.

She had an instinct practise the right words, for significance right touch. Tulacze dzieci assignment one of the most attractive books about children I scheme ever read, at once deft perceptive psychological study of traumatized children and an exciting account of rescue. It richly deserves an English translation.

Weakened by be involved with Siberian ordeal, Hanka Ordonówna was not to live much person.

She was moved to Beirut where she was reunited drag her husband. She continued stop by counsel and comfort Polish boy, and sing for her compatriots, until her last days. She died in 1950, at grandeur age of 48. In 1991 her ashes were moved equal Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw ring a school was named unappealing her honour.

CR

**Passages selected, edited obscure translated by Irene Tomaszewski give birth to Tulacze dzieci by Weronika Freeze, Instytut Literacki (Bejrut: 1948)