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Short Resume of
Mrs Eugenia Grosicka |
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People came to the camp after the war as
displaced persons from all walks of life.Every one had a story to tell. I
have received one such story about a very energetic, patriotic and
courageous woman much loved by the children she cared for. She brought
theatre, song and dance to the traumatised people and specially the
children of Springhill. Mrs Eugenia Grosicka. |
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She
was born in the Lwów region of
Poland in
1901. As a young woman in
Poland she
was actively engaged in the scout and youth movement and also was
a teacher of art, song, dance and gymnastics. She organised scout
and youth camps and encouraged their acting and singing. She
herself became part of the theatre as an actress in the Lwow
Theatre. During the war in 1940 she and her family were exiled to
Kazakhstan.
She became headmistress of the orphanage at Jangi-jul and together
with the orphanage was taken to Teheran and then to
Karachi. On the way
more orphaned children joined her, resulting in about 400 children
under her care, arriving in
East Africa in 1943. The
orphanage was set up in the camp of Tengeru. Together with her
sisters, Zofia and Wilma Schmidt, and other willing persons began
not just to hold educational classes, but also to produce plays
and pantomimes. These plays were often performed for visiting
dignitaries in nearby towns and were received with great
admiration. At the end of the war and due to the camps being
closed there were problems about the future of so many orphaned
children. Mrs Grosicka together with
Fr. Lucjan Krolikowski after many struggles with
the government in
Warsaw, who wanted the children to
return to
Poland, managed
to arrange for some children to travel to
Italy and
others to
Canada with
Fr Krolikowski. She herself came to
England
having adopted one of the youngest children and having three other
under her guardianship. In Springhill she produced and directed
many plays together with her sisters. The young and many older
people gained not just a love of Polish song and dance from her
but also a strong patriotic love of
Poland. She
moved to
Leicester and carried on her love
of amateur theatre. She died in 1979, remembered with great
affection by all the children she helped.
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From the right Mrs.Grosicka with her
adopted family Janka Papuga (Papuzanka) Teresa (Nena) Grosicka. Janina
Szyler.Adam Smereka and Mrs. Grosicka's sisters Miss Zosia and Wilma
Schmidt. Standing in the back is Ula Szwabiak |
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Some of Mrs Grosicka's
Productions |
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Play" Krakowiacy i Cyganie" on
stage are; Stasia Morek, Stasia Łyczko , ?, Basia Staniaszek, Halina
Staniaszek, Olesia Łukaszewska - 1952. |
A play "Ochotnicy
z Wolanówki"
The two youngest
members of the cast are Janek Szyszkiewucz Ula Szwabiak, can
you name any of the others |
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"Kwiat Paproci" |
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Left: Regina Fiedosiuk, Nena
Grosicka,Teresa ? Zosia Kania Janka Strach Danusia Aleksandrowicz |
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Zosia Kania Genia Kania Regina
Fiedosiuk |
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Some of the names. Wanda Mis,
Teresa Małyszko in the background is Janka Papuga |
The whole cast of "Kwiat
Paproci" on stage. |
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1952 Pantomine 'Krolewna Sniezka' (Snow
Princess) |
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Some of the known names on the photo |
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Jurek Biegus, Janka Szyler, Mr. Zajac,
Ula Szwabiak,Janek Szyszkiewicz, Janka Papuga, Krysia Biegus, Adam
Smereka |
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The Plays were produced and directed by
Mrs. Grosicka. |
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The national costumes were ones she had
brought with her from Poland via Africa and some were made in the
camp by mother s and helpers. |
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Kwiat Paptoci'
Some of the names. Top Jurek Uzarowsk, the Szewczyk Brothers, F.
Unknown, Rysiek Gembarski, Krysia Wierzynska, Rysiek Sozanski,Antek
Starsiak. |
1957 'Kwiat Paproci'
Ula Szwabiak, Janka Papuga The last play performed at
Springhill as camp was going to be closed. Many people had already
moved away Mrs. Grosicka with her family were moving to Leicester.
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A production made in Leicester.
Janusz Remizo Jurek Biegus, Ula szwabiak |
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Left 1956 Ula
Szwabiak with her English friends Janet Lock, daughter of Mr. Lock
headmaster of Moreton in Marsh Secondary School and Stella Kay daugher
of Mr Kay who had the chemist shop in Blockley |
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Inscription on Mrs. Grosicka's
headstone reads
Guardian of Polish Orphans in Russia
and East Africa. Active in maintaining Polish culture in the exiled
community. She served God and her Homeland
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Page 1
Springhill |
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Page 2
The
camp and it'sPeople |
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Page 3 Current |
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Page 4
Ula Szwabiak |
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Page 5
Springhill today |
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Home |
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