Franciszek Gajowniczek

Franciszek Gajowniczek
Franciszek Gajowniczek, 1941, Auschwitz prisoner 5659
Born	(1901-11-15)15 November 1901 Strachomin, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
Died	13 March 1995(1995-03-13) (aged 93) Brzeg, Poland
Burial place	Niepokalanów
Nationality	Polish
Known for	Maximilian Kolbe sacrificed himself to save Gajowniczek
Spouses	Helena (died 1977) Janina (survived him)
Children	2 sons, killed 1945
Military career
Allegiance	Poland
Service / branch	Army
Rank	Sergeant
Unit	36th Infantry Regiment
Battles / wars	May Coup, 1926 Defensive War, 1939: Defence of Wieluń Battle of Modlin

Franciszek Gajowniczek (15 November 1901 – 13 March 1995) was a Polish army sergeant whose life was saved at the Auschwitz concentration camp by Catholic priest Maximilian Kolbe, who volunteered to die in his place.

Gajowniczek had been sent to Auschwitz concentration camp from a Gestapo prison in Tarnów. He was captured while crossing the border into Slovakia after the defeat of the Modlin Fortress during the 1939 invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany. Gajowniczek survived the war and afterward became a lay missionary, dedicating his life to spreading the story of Kolbe's sacrifice.