Person    | Male  Born 21/2/1895  Died 11/5/1943

Szmul Zygielbojm

Categories: Tragedy

Countries: Poland

Politician. Born in Borowica, Poland. He became involved in the Jewish labour movement (Bundism), and in 1917, represented Chełm at the first Bundist convention in Poland. He was invited to serve as secretary of the Trade Union of Jewish Metal Workers and in 1924, was elected to the Bund's Central Committee.

Imprisoned after the German occupation of Poland, he was smuggled out of the country and travelled to Belgium and the United States. He arrived in London in 1942, joining the National Council of the Polish Government in exile, and speaking on British radio about the fate of the Jews in Poland. When he heard of the deaths of his wife and son in the Warsaw ghetto, he committed suicide as a protest against the indifference and inaction of the allied governments in the face of the Holocaust. He killed himself at his West London flat, using poison or gas, depending on source.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Szmul Zygielbojm

Commemorated ati

Szmul Zygielbojm

Jewish workers' bund leader. Representative to the Polish parliament-in-exil...

Read More

Other Subjects

Kehat Shorr

Kehat Shorr

Shooting coach. Born in Romania. An expert marksman, he moved to Israel in 1963, training many young marksmen. He also trained the national team for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, where along wi...

Person, Sport / Games, Tragedy, Germany, Israel/Palestine, Romania

1 memorial
Peter McGreal

Peter McGreal

A web manager and trade union representative at London Metropolitan University, Unison have a memorial page for him.  Killed in a all too familiar 'left-hook' collision, unseen by a lorry turning l...

Person, Cyclist, Tragedy

1 memorial
Deborah Garlick

Deborah Garlick

Possibly also known as Debbie Evans.

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial