24 June: Remembering Jan Karski on Birthday

OV Digital Desk
4 Min Read
Jan Karski

Image Courtesy: Google Doodle

Jan Karski (24 June 1914 – 13 July 2000) was a Polish soldier, resistance fighter, and diplomat during World War II. He is known for having acted as a courier in 1940–1943 to the Polish government-in-exile and to Poland’s Western Allies about the situation in German-occupied Poland.

Karski’s date of birth is sometimes given as 24 April 1914, based on his baptismal records in Russian and subsequently shown on his official birth certificate. 24 June was confirmed by Karski’s family lawyer.

Life and Career

Jan Karski was born on 24 June 1914, in Lodz, Poland. He grew up in a multilingual and multicultural family and showed early academic promise. He went on to study law and diplomacy at the University of Lwow and joined the Polish diplomatic service.

During World War II, Karski served as a courier for the Polish Underground resistance movement, and he played a pivotal role in the effort to inform the Allies about the Holocaust. In 1942, he was smuggled into the Warsaw Ghetto and a transit camp, where he witnessed the atrocities being committed against the Jewish population. He subsequently traveled to London and Washington, D.C., to meet with Allied leaders, including British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to provide eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust and seek help for the Polish resistance.

Karski passed away on 13 July 2000, in Washington, D.C., at the age of 86.

Award and Legacy

For his courageous efforts during World War II, Karski was recognized with numerous awards, including the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest civilian decoration, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. He was also honored by Israel as one of the “Righteous Among the Nations” for his efforts to save Jews during the Holocaust.

Karski’s legacy as a hero and advocate for human rights continues to inspire people today. His brave actions in documenting and exposing the Holocaust to the Allied powers helped raise awareness about the atrocities being committed by the Nazis and played a role in shaping post-war policies on human rights and genocide prevention. Karski’s life and work serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of standing up against injustice and advocating for the rights and dignity of all people, regardless of their background or ethnicity. His contributions to the fight against anti-Semitism and Holocaust remembrance are remembered and honored by many around the world.

On 24 April 2014, Google celebrated Jan Karski’s 100th Birthday with a doodle. Karski’s date of birth is sometimes given as 24 April 1914, based on his baptismal records in Russian and subsequently shown on his official birth certificate. 24 June was confirmed by Karski’s family lawyer.

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