The begining

Czesława Żak was born in 1927 in Warsaw as the oldest daughter of Teresa and Stanisław Żak. She spent her childhood in Warsaw district of Targówek in St. Vincent Street. Her mother was a seamstress, her father was a carpenter. Czesława, together with her parents and younger sister lived on the left side of the capital city until the liquidation of a large ghetto. In 1933 Czesława started her education at primary school no. 152 in Oszmiański Street. In her class, there was a large number of Jewish students. Her family was tolerant of other people’s faiths and nationalities. Czesława’s father’s brother, Stanisław, was an activist of PPS (Polish Socialist Party). His political attitude, so different from those of people governing the Republic of Poland, was the reason for permanent problems. Continuous arrests and court trials brought the Żak family to embarrassing situations concerning other residents of their block of flats, who were reluctant to those who had left-wing beliefs. Young Czesława knew what it means to be different from others. She often suffered as a result of the left-wing views of her uncle, who was her godfather replacing her father in first years of her life. As a schoolgirl she had a lot of crazy ideas. In the winter she used to slide on a schoolbag made from leather. When she noticed a strict face of her father standing in the distance, she went home rapidly. Today, she says that as a child was a very naughty person and that is probably why later she was able to survive during the war. From her early years she was a good friend of dogs. It was important for whole family to have this animal companion.