In November 2021, the archival resources of the State Museum at Majdanek were enriched by two secret messages written by Tadeusz Tuz to his family. In 1944 he was imprisoned in the Lublin Castle.

The donors were Tadeusz Tuz’s relatives – Mrs Alicja Maciejewska and Mr Andrzej Maciejewski. In addition to the secret messages, they donated to the Museum’s archives a photograph of the author of the illegal messages as well as two post-war documents: a decision declaring Tadeusz Tuz dead, issued by the County Court in Biała Podlaska in November 1958, and an excerpt from his birth certificate.

The materials donated complemented Tadeusz Tuz’s collection of letters sent from the prison at the Lublin castle, which the Museum had already had in its archives. Accompanied by extensive information about the author and the circumstances of his arrest, imprisonment and death, these materials enable us to learn another story of a man who gave his life in the fight for his country.

The author of the description is Mrs Anna Tuz, chronicler and documentalist of the history of the Tuz family from Podlasie region. Thanks to her kindness, we can present the profile and story of this young hero.

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Tadeusz Tuz was born on March 6, 1926 in Biała Podlaska. His father, Paweł Tuz, was a soldier of the Polish Legions. He participated in the fight for Polish independence in 1915-1918 and in the Polish-Soviet war and worked in the Polish State Police.

When Tadeusz was 3 and his sister Aniela was 4, their mother died. Their father remarried. His second wife, Lucyna Tuz, opened her heart to the children and established a very close relationship with them, becoming their second mother.

When World War II broke out, the family lived in Starogard. Paweł Tuz, being the commanding officer of the Polish State Police, was mobilized on September 10, 1939. Following the order, he headed to the east, towards Polesie. He only reached Brześć. Later on, his driver told the family that Tuz’s officer's honor prevented him from fleeing to Hungary. He stayed in Brześć and was never heard of again.

After the mobilization and their father’s departure from Starogard, Tadeusz and his sister, lower secondary school students, together with Lucyna Tuz were evacuated on the last train leaving the town on September 30, 1939. They all went to Warsaw, to Lucyna’s family. That is where they survived the dramatic siege and the city’s surrender. There was still no news of the father. Like many Poles at that time, Lucyna Tuz was surely wondering where to shelter with the children. Biała Podlaska, where the grandparents of Aniela and Tadeusz and their uncle, Józef Tuz, were living, seemed to be safer than Warsaw. Therefore, at the beginning of 1940 the children and Lucyna went to Biała Podlaska.

Tadeusz and his sister attended the Business School there. On March 15, 1943, the siblings graduated from school and took their final exams. From the preserved correspondence of Tadeusz with his mother, we learn that he was worried about his future writing: “We have to figure out what to do next. Since redundant stores will soon be closed down, getting a job is simply impossible. Perhaps Nela will work in “Rolnik” (thanks to connections!). But I don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe I'll go to work in Germany.” At the same time, the school doctor diagnosed him with consumption and heart disease.

In 1943, before the end of the school year, seventeen-year-old Tadeusz was actually taken from school for forced labour to Germany. However, he escaped from the transport and returned to Biała Podlaska. But he was not safe there anymore. Besides, like every adult Pole, he had to have some kind of employment. Hence, he moved to the border between Lublelskie and Subcarpathian Voivodeship and started working as a woodcutter in the Janów Forests. Partisan units of the Home Army [Armia Krajowa or AK] were active in this area. Wanting to continue the family tradition, Tadeusz joined the Home Army. The following year he returned to Biała Podlaska. He was employed in a Soldiers’ Home (Soldatenheim), which served as a hotel and restaurant for vacationing and traveling Wehrmacht and SS soldiers. The Soldatenheim was located in a one-story building in the city center of Biała Podlaska - at Freedom Square [Plac Wolności].

In the winter of 1943, Tadeusz was summoned to an interrogation by the Gestapo. He was even detained for a few days. After this incident, the elders advised him to hide immediately. Unfortunately, Tadeusz ignored their advice [...].

On the night of 5-6 January 1944, the Germans arrested a large group of young people in Biała Podlaska, together with their teacher Dymitr Tymoszuk, the commander of the AK Scout Platoon. One of his colleagues warned Tadeusz that he was also in danger. Despite the warnings, Tadeusz went to work on 6 January, as usual in the morning. There he was arrested on suspicion of stealing weapons from the Germans. He spent almost a month in the Gestapo prison in Biała Podlaska, and then in February 1944, he was taken to the prison at the Lublin Castle.

On March 23, 1944, in the cities of occupied Poland, the commander of the German Security Police for the Lublin district issued a notice listing 60 people sentenced to death by the Summary Court. The crime most of them were convicted of was “belonging to a prohibited organization.” The list included the names of 10 young boys from Biała Podlaska, among them Tadeusz Tuz and their commander Dymitr Tymoszuk. They were all accused of belonging to the Home Army. Theoretically, they could be “pardoned” if, within the next three months, the Home Army did not undertake any diversionary activities in the vicinity.

Unfortunately, this has not happened. Tadeusz Tuz did not regain his freedom. On May 12, 1944, together with a group of prisoners from the Castle, he was transported to the Majdanek concentration camp and shot there. The place and date of his burial are unknown.

Several messages smuggled out of prison, which Tadeusz Tuz sent to his relatives, have survived from the period of his stay in the prison at the Lublin Castle. From them, we get to know that the author, despite the circumstances, did not lose his youthful optimism and sense of humour. He believed that he’d be released soon.

Below we present a transcription of 2 such messages handed over to the Archives of the State Museum at Majdanek. The first one, of 14 March 1944, was sent to the address of the “Społem” store at Plac Wolności in Biała Podlaska where Aniela Tuz – Nela, Tadeusz’s sister, worked at that time. It was meant for his mother, Lucyna Tuz.

Lublin, 14.03.44. Aniela Tuz, “Społem” store next to the police station or Terespolska 37 [Biała Podlaska – A.W.]

Dear Mommy! I am writing my third letter already and I haven’t received any reply. To each package you can attach a message that can be smuggled into prison. Please, send the next one in a box. Line the bottom with a few sheets of paper and place a couple of postcards between them. Till now, you had placed them on top and they were taken during the inspection. One of our “crew”, namely Włodek Kowalski has been released already on the condition that he will join probably the police. It happened as a result of his father efforts. I hope Włodek will meet his mother and inform her about everything in detail. It would be good if you would do similar attempts. Best wishes to you all. Tad.

The second letter was written on 25 March 1944 and although it has a highly humorous or even ironic tone, it is not optimistic. The author is suffering from hunger that he deceives by smoking machorka tobacco. Irritating scabies appear on skin and his soul is tormented by longing for his loved ones. However, there is still hope that perhaps by Easter he will be at home.

Lublin, 25th March 1944, Aniela Tuz, “Społem” store [Biała Podlaska]

Dear Mommy! I received two packages on the 20th of the current month: one containing Ovalmaltina, and the other with bread. The package with bread probably had a complicated route as the bread was crushed into several parts and the secret message was completely visible. Naturally, it was taken from me so I had no possibility to read it. That’s why I believe that it would be better not to put any messages in bread. The best is to put it in fat, sandwiches and in small objects overall. E.g. the small package with Ovalmaltina was inspected only superficially. Anyway, it’s all a small matter. I’m going back to Biała Podlaska for Easter, or to Warsaw. Please, write me about what’s going on over in Biała. We’re doing well here; we’ve got newspapers, maps, etc. Recently, I’ve become a chess master. I would ask you to send me a lotion against scabies which I’ve mentioned in my previous letter, and some mustard or horseradish (everyone keeps sending us bacon and pork fat). For Easter, please prepare a couple of litres of Cieleśnicka with uncle. I would drink it even today. I don’t have my sweater anymore. I’ve sold it for 3 packs of Indian tobacco. Instead, I’ve got other sweater, factory-made. I’m mostly thankful for the sheepskin coat. I don’t know how I would manage without it. Here, there’s a craftsman who makes excellent slippers. I’m going to have one pair made but I’m still thinking of what material, leather or blanket. And coming back to the pork fat, please, don’t send it anymore. I would prefer butter or lard. My clothes are ragged. 1/3 by disinfection, but I think they’ll definitely last to Easter. I’ve washed my underwear twice. When it comes to handkerchiefs, I’ve got 4, and the others I’ve lost. We’re allowed to send one letter a week. [What about] grandpa, is he deeply worried that I’m not there? And the housekeeper? The weather is very nice here, the temperature is at a few degrees above zero. I feel solely the lack of... beer. Besides, everyone reassures me that it's only the first five years, then you get used to it. Is Baby as big as Nula, or a bit smaller? I haven’t seen her in a while. It seems that I’ll be evicted from my actual flat. Thus I’m going to apply to remain there for a few months, but I don’t know if they’ll agree. Anyway, I’ll request it. Warm regards. Tad.

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In November 1958, at the request of his family, Tadeusz Tuz was declared dead by the District Court in Biała Podlaska. His name is put on the plaque of victims of Lublin prison in the castle tower, and also on a mass grave of the last execution of prisoners of the Tower which is located at the cemetery on Lipowa Street in Lublin and at the cemetery in Biała Podlaska.

In 1990, Aniela Tuz officially started the search for her father. Soon she was informed that Paweł Tuz’s name was on the NKVD list from Ostaszków with the date of 20 April 1940. This information confirmed his death on that day. The burial site of Paweł Tuz remains unknown.