Zofia Odrobna (1917–1960): the mother to “lost” children

One of Zofia's most important activities were her contacts with her sister, which she maintained during the post-war years despite the distance between them. In this respect she was supported by Kazimierz who did not wish her to become isolated from her family. In 1959 she succeeded in getting her sister Izabela to visit Velbert with her husband. Here they took the opportunity of making trips to other parts of West Germany, including one to Heidelberg. At the time no one in the family could foresee that this would be the last time they would see each other. Shortly afterwards, Zofia was taken to the St. Elisabeth Hospital in Neviges, a few kilometres south of Velbert; sadly there is no information on the reasons for her having to be treated as an in-patient. We can only assume that her health had deteriorated considerably as she died there on 10. September 1960 despite all attempts to save her life. The funeral ceremony was conducted by Prelate Edward Lubowiecki and Pastor Jan Kubica on the 24. September 1960 in the St. Maria Rosenkranz Church in Burscheider Straße in the Düsseldorf suburb of Wersten. Many of her fellow Poles were in attendance, mostly from North Rhine Westphalia, and especially from Dortmund, Essen, Düsseldorf and Cologne. Members of the board of the League of Polish Refugees were also present along with countless delegates from the League's various districts. 

Zofia Odrobna was buried at the cemetery in Werstener Feld 203 in the Düsseldorf suburb of Eller. On the 4. and 19. October 1960 two masses were held for her in the Chapel of the Mother of God in Kozielsk, and in the Brompton Oratory church in London. Her sister, Izabela Zięba, died 50 years later in 2010 in Przemyśl.

Łukasz Wolak, October 2017

Archives:

The archives of the Instytut Polski i Muzeum im. gen. W. Sikorskiego (Polish Institute and General-W.-Sikorski-Museum) in London

The stocks of the Pracownia Badań nad Polską Emigracją w Niemczech po 1945 r. w Instytucie Historycznym Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego (Department of studies on Polish emigrants in Germany after 1945 at the Historical Institute of the University of Wrocław)

From the stocks of the Internationalen Suchdienste in Bad Arolsen

From the private collection of Monika Zapałowska (Poland)

From the private collection of Łukasz Wolak.

Further reading: 

Sabina Bober, Pfarrer Stanisław Budyn (editors), Duszpasterstwo polskojęzyczne w Niemczech 1945-2005 / Polnischsprachige Seelsorge in Deutschland 1945-2005, Lublin-Hannover 2006, p. 391 [The career of Pastor Edmund Banaszak].

Pages on the Internet:

Announcement of death: Zofia Odrobna. Kartoteka Osobowa Emigracji Polskiej (Card index of Polish immigrants): http://www.kat.umk.pl/koep/ [last seen on 07.06.2017].

Łukasz Wolak: Wspomnienie biograficzne o Zofii Odrobnej [A biographic reminiscence of Zofia Odrobna]: http://uchodzcywniemczech.pl/wspomnienie-biograficzne-o-zofii-odrobnej/ [last seen on 07.06.2017].