Saga rodu Brandtów

Alina Stefanek; Katarzyna  Tur-Marciszuk

doi:10.56583/az.833

Published : 2020-12-31

Vol. 18 (2020)

The Brandt Family Saga

Alina Stefanek

Katarzyna Tur-Marciszuk

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56583/az.833

Abstract

The article presents the history of several generations of the Brandt family, which most probably originated in Gdańsk, temporarily settled in deep Russia, and was later on connected with Volhynia, Zamość and several places in the Roztocze region, such as Bondyrz and Kaczórki. The text was written as part of the project called Family Archives of the Independent 2.0, carried out by the Head Office of the State Archives. It was handed over to the State Archive in Zamość as a supplement to the previously handed over archives of the Brandt, Stefanek and Hawrylak families. According to a family legend, the characters described in the article were related to the painter Józef Brandt. The story begins with the author’s great-grandfather Piotr Brandt, who lived in Janów Lubelski and was married to Zofia née Odrowąż-Pieniążka. One of their eight children, Seweryn, went deep into Russia in search of work and settled in Kaluga, where he married Waleria née Matuszewicz. The author recreates in detail the family’s migration and, among other things, Severyn’s conscription into the Red Army. After the Bolshevik War, the Brandt family lived in Dubno and Kovel, Seweryn becoming a mayor of the latter. The author’s parents, Janina Brandtówna and Ignacy Stefanek, settled in Zamość and had a summer house in Kaczórki. Several male members of the family were involved in Polish scouting in Volhynia and Zamość, and the female members were involved in teaching. Seweryn Brandt died in Auschwitz. The article is richly illustrated with photographs from the family archives.