Danuta Kowalik
Class 3
My education during the occupation
During the first days of September 1943 there was a lot of traffic on Puławska Street 101. Students from the Piłsudski Middle School on Inwalidów Square 10, then a gardening school, were busy working in the garden. There were only gardening classes at school, but the girls held meetings in private apartments, each day in a different student’s house, to study history, geography and Latin. Every day, the girls would come separately to a previously designated house and knock on the door in a special way, while being wary of other tenants. The military police came to the gardening classes several times, but they didn’t find anything suspicious and left.
On 12 October, at 10 a.m., there was a knock on the door during class – the military police stormed in and started a search. It was the first class of high school. The Germans found a history textbook belonging to one of my classmates. Four girls were arrested and vanished without a trace. It was the time of mass executions on the streets of Warsaw.
After the girls were arrested, I stopped going to that school, and started attending classes in the Chotomów village in the Warsaw voivodeship, Jabłonna commune, at young Halina Drewnik’s place.
There were five of us students. We would go there every day, but at different times, carrying only pieces of paper. For example, I always had a bottle of milk in my bag. Should any suspicion arise, I would explain that I had brought her milk out of courtesy. We all went separately and knocked on the door three times – it was our sign.
We studied eagerly, although in fear, and we were very happy to do so. It was nice to spend time in the classes, because we were not only learning, but also taking part in clandestine activities. We were very happy and proud that we too could help to liberate our beloved Poland from German captivity.