Natalia Tułasiewicz

Memorial plaque to Natalia Tułasiewicz in Poznań

Natalia Tułasiewicz (9 April 1906 – 31 March 1945) was a teacher in Poznań, Poland and a leader in the Catholic lay apostolate. A member of the Polish Underground State, she died in the Ravensbrück concentration camp, in a gas chamber. Tułasiewicz was beatified in 1999 as one of the 108 Martyrs of World War Two.

Biography

Natalia Tułasiewicz was born in Rzeszów on 9 April 1906.^[1] She moved with her family to Poznań in 1921, where upon graduating from the Poznań University she worked as a teacher, and was a leader in the lay apostolate.

During the occupation of Poland, her family was among the many Polish families who were dispossessed by the Germans after annexation of Poznań; thrown out of their homes with only a few hours notice.^[1] She was involved in the underground education in Kraków and was a member of the Polish Underground State.^[1] In 1943 she volunteered to leave for the Third Reich together with other women who were forced to perform heavy work, to give them spiritual comfort.^[1] When the Germans found out about her secret mission, she was arrested, tortured, and condemned to death in the Ravensbrück concentration camp.^[1] On Good Friday 1945, she climbed a stool in the barracks and spoke to the prisoners on the passion and resurrection of Jesus. Two days later, on Easter Sunday, 31 March, she died in a gas chamber.^[1] The concentration camp was liberated two days later.^[1]

Natalia Tułasiewicz is one of the only two lay women among the 108 Martyrs of World War Two, beatified on 13 June 1999 by Pope John Paul II.^[1][2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Dorota Tułasiewicz, "Nie potrafię nienawidzić nawet tych, którzy nas skrzywdzili" (I'm unable to hate even those who wronged us). 45 KB PDF, Radio Maryja, 2006-09-03. (Polish)
2. ^ Sylwia Palka, Poprzez ziemię ukochała niebo, Miesięcznik Wychowawca, Nr. 06/2007. (Polish)

Further reading

• Bł. Natalia Tułasiewicz, Przeciw barbarzynstwu – Listy, Dzienniki, wspomnienia. Wydawnictwo "M", Kraków 2003.
• Natalia Tułasiewicz, Byc poetka zycia. Zapiski z lat 1938–1943. Wydawnictwo Wydziału Teologicznego UAM, Poznan, 2006.

Persondata
Name	Tulasiewicz, Natalia
Alternative names
Short description	Beatified by Catholic church
Date of birth	9 April 1906
Place of birth	Rzeszów, Poland
Date of death	31 March 1945
Place of death	Ravensbrück concentration camp