Maximilian Kolbe

Above the West door of Westminster Abbey in London are statues of ten 20th century martyrs. Among them stands Maximilian Kolbe, a Conventual Franciscan Friar from Poland who died as Prisoner 16670 in Auschwitz Concentration Camp on 14 August 1941.

He had been arrested and imprisoned after sheltering 2000 Jewish people and other refugees from Greater Poland in the Friary in Niepokalanów. As a radio amateur he had also criticized Nazi activities through his radio reports.  

Maximilian Kolbe 1939 photo

After a prisoner disappeared from Auschwitz in July 1941, the deputy camp commander selected 10 men to die by starvation and dehydration in the notorious Block 13. Maximilian Kolbe was not one of those selected but he volunteered to take the place of another man, Franciszek Gajowniczek who was crying out for his family. This was accepted.

During the weeks that it took the 10 to die Maximilian led the others in prayer and singing. The 4 still left alive after 3 weeks, including Maximilian, were murdered by carbolic acid injections on 14 August 1941. 

"No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." John 15: 13

Stained Glass in Conventual Franciscan church, Szombathely, Hungary

Do you want to know more about him?

• You can read a short article in the Jewish Virtual Library here
• or watch a 5 minute BBC educational video here.  
• or read my previous post 'Man in Striped Pajamas
• or a nun's reflection on whether he felt a failure

Image Credits: photo of Westminster abbey statue wikicommons

1939 photo of Maximilian Kolbe wikimedia commons

photo of stained glass window in Hungary, wikimedia commons