Love

Krysia Kucynski

For me it was love at first sight, but for him it began slowly . . .
Krysia, born in 1922, married Salomon (Salek) Kucynski in the Sosnowiec Ghetto. When the ghetto was liquidated, the young people were sent to the Annaberg camp, where they worked at preparing equipment for the army. The women made soup from leftovers that had been thrown out of the kitchen and from food stolen from the Germans. They shared it with the men by smuggling it out at night through the fence. Krysia had a large-sized coat under which she concealed the soup.
About a year later, Salomon was transferred to Blechhammer Camp. He and Krysia corresponded by passing letters via a German kitchen worker whom they had bribed. Later on, Krysia was transferred to Peterswald Camp and communication was broken off.
Salomon died during the death march to Buchenwald; Krysia survived. She remarried to Azriel Szampan in 1946 and moved to Israel.

I met Salek about two months after the war began. Salek was studying engineering in Warsaw and was about to get married there to a girl who’d come down with typhus. She died. He was in a ghastly mood. Then his mother telephoned my mother and asked her to introduce me to Salek.
For me it was love at first sight, but for him it began slowly....
When we knew they were going to liquidate the ghetto, I told Salek that if we didn’t get married I wouldn’t be sent with him but with my parents. We had a wedding in the ghetto—we went to some rabbi and Mother made ‘meatballs’ that were mainly bread. Some time later, we also went to City Hall and registered ourselves.
We lived together until they liquidated the ghetto.

Krysia (Kucynski) Szampan

From Krysia’s testimony, 2006

Dear Krysia,

I received a letter that you wrote together with Sabina. All the letters and greetings made me very happy. Please write to me with lots of details about how you’re living. Krysinku [a nickname for Krysia], if it means that you’ll have to deny yourself something, don’t do it. In any event, write me how you look these days. I’m healthy and feeling well.
Krysia, I miss you very much. I think we’ll be seeing each other soon. Don’t laugh.

I’m giving you a big kiss.

Salek