Ludwik Wacholder

Introduction

Ludwik Wacholder was born on March 14, 1884 in Warsaw to Szlama Abram and Rachela (Tartar) Wacholder. His marriage to Zyssa Margulies was registered in 1911 in  Opatow. They lived on Ilzecka 38. The 1942 Raptaluz registered that he was shot dead  on April 28 1942, one of 36 victims of the Nazi slaughter that day 

[Above details courtesy of JRI-Poland.org and Judy Golan, JRI-Poland Ostrowiec Town Leader]

His son Zeev Wacholder survived and moved to Israel after the Holocaust. The fate of his wife is not known.

Ludwik's noble character of his assisting refugees both after the first World War and during the Holocaust ,has been documented in 2 Yizkor Book articles below:

---------------

The harsh period of the 1915 winter began with the deportation of the Jews from the nearby towns of Szewna, Lipsk and Tarla. The Jewish refugees were gathered in our city… the town's Jews tried to help the refugees with anything they could. A committee for refugee aid was formed that helped find housing for them, and a public kitchen was established, to make sure they did not go hungry… The city's Jews helped them get settled and rebuild their businesses. Jews of America also lent out a hand and representatives of the American aid council travelled to Ostrowiec to learn what form of help was asked of them. Dr. Wacholder, may he rest in peace, and myself were chosen as representatives of the Jews in the American council in our town, and Yaakov Mendel Goldfinger was chosen as substitute. Dr. Wacholder, who was known for his noble traits, and worked hard to help the refugees, was killed in the holocaust. … [Ostrowiec Yizkor Book 1971, "Ostrowiec, the Town where I Grew up", by Simcha Mintzberg (page 125) ]

 ------------------------

At the beginning of December 1939, the Ostrowiec Jewish committee was called to the head of the “Gestapo” to inform them that a transport of Jews was passing through Ostrowiec who had not eaten for a few days, and that they were given permission to distribute food to them. …. We took the 1200 Jews into the Ostrowiec Mizrachi “Yavne”” synagogue and immediately issued an appeal to the Ostrowiec Jewish community, that whoever is in the position, is obliged to voluntarily take Jews home, and provide them with food and sleeping accommodation. Our plea was accepted. The first to respond was Dr. Wacholder , who immediately took an elderly couple. After him everyone took home Jews from Konin, so that by 1am, everyone had been allocated a place to stay….

[ Konin Yizkor Book , 1968, " The Ostrowiec Aid Society for Konin Refugees", by Eliezer Langer (page 509) ]

 -----------------------------------------------------

Ludwik Wacholder

A councilman, a dentist, a citizen **

Written by: Monika Pastuszko

While walking the 3^rd May Alley – once a promenade, and main Ostrowiec street – one can still see beautiful, old horse chestnut trees. In 2012 they got the name of “chestnuts by the Kamienna River” and became a natural monument, thanks to Ostrowiec city council decision. It is well known in contemporary Ostrowiec that these trees were planted by scouts. But it should be remembered that it was the 23rd of April 1917 when the City council decided to plant trees along the Alley. The impelementation of the decision – as one can read in the book “Żydzi Ostrowieccy” (“Ostrowiec Jews”) by Waldemar Brociek, Regina Renz, Adam Penkalla – “was given to a 3-person group with Ludwik Wacholder”.

Who was Ludwik Wacholder? He was a Jewish dentist, born in 1881, killed in 1942.  In 1917, while planting trees, he was 36 and a member of the first after-war city council. Later he dealt with educational and sanitary issues as a councilman. He wasn’t a member of any party, but was a Zionist and an active citizen for many years. For example, he was a member the Committee of the Public Security. The committee was founded after the collapse of the Habsburgs’ Monarchy to prevent mess on the streets. Later he worked for the charity, splitting money sent by Jewish emmigrants from New York.

Wacholder was killed by the Nazis on April 28, 1942 by SS. As one can read in Ostrowiec Yizkor book, he was shot dead by Peter, SS-man, despite the fact that Peter promised “eternal gratitude” to Wacholder a few weeks before. Eternal gratitude – because the Jewish dentist had made golden teeth for him.

36 Jewish people were killed on the streets of Ostrowiec on that day, and 72 sent to Treblinka. They were considered ones who may resist against occupation. Wacholder, the active citizen and probably Ostrowiec influencer, was among them.

Sources:

"Ostrowiec. A Monument on the Ruins of an Annihilated Jewish Community",  G. Silberberg, M. S. Geshuri, Tel Aviv 1971.
W. Brociek, R. Renz, A. Penkalla „Żydzi ostrowieccy. Zarys dziejów”, Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski 1996.

** This above is an  edited version of two articles written by Monika Pastuszko in Polish: