Max Diamant (later Josef Burzminski)

Max grew up in Przemyśl, a city in Poland with a large Jewish population. Max’s parents ran a small grocery store to support their five children. Max played sports and excelled in school.

1933-39: In September 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland and divided it between them. The demarcation line divided the city of Przemyśl in two. Part of the city came under German occupation and the other part came under Soviet occupation. Max initially lived under the Soviet occupation.

1940-44: In June 1941, Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union and occupied all of Przemyśl. Eventually, the Diamants and other Jews were imprisoned in the Przemyśl ghetto. Despite the danger, their non-Jewish friend and former employee, Stefania Podgórska, helped supply them with food from outside the ghetto. The Germans soon began carrying out transports from the Przemyśl ghetto to the Belzec killing center. Max’s parents were deported and murdered. Then, Max and his brother Chaim were forced onto a freight train. However, Max jumped from the deportation train and made his way back to Przemyśl. In Przemyśl he sought Stefania’s help. Max stayed with Stefania for a short time before returning to the ghetto.

In summer 1943, Max feared the Germans would soon liquidate the ghetto and murder the remaining residents. Max asked Stefania if she would be willing to find a new home, large enough to hide him and other Jews, including his brother Henryk and his sister-in-law. She quickly found a cottage with a large attic located at 3 Tatarska Street. Stefania and her much younger sister Helena hid and cared for Max and twelve other Jews until Soviet forces retook the city in July 1944. Later, Stefania and Max married. They eventually immigrated to the United States.