Jerzy Krupinski

Title: My four lives
Author: Jerzy Krupinski
Publisher: Vista Publications
Place of publication: Melbourne
Year of Publication: 2001
Location of Book: Hargrave-Andrew Library, Monash University Clayton Campus
Cities/town/camps: Poland: Warsaw, Lvov, Nieswiez, Sulejowek
Note: those cities/towns/camps underlined are those which are most central to the narrative

Jerzy Krupinski’s autobiography covers his entire life, from his birth in pre-war Warsaw, until his retirement in Australia. 214 pages long, Krupinski wrote My Four Lives at the age of 81. Initially, he imagined that his story would interest only his family and friends, but as he went through the process of writing, he came to believe that his experiences may be of interest to others as well. The book is divided into four sections, each portraying one of Krupinski’s ‘lives’. The first 30 pages of the book describe his first life, that of a youth in pre-war Poland. His second life, as a fugitive from the Germans during the war, is described on pages 31-62. Pages 63-136 tell of Krupinski’s third life, in the Polish Peoples’ Republic, after the war. Finally, on pages 137-214, Krupinski relates his experiences during his fourth life, in Australia.

Krupinski was born Jurek Szwarcwald in Warsaw, Poland, in 1920. His family were assimilated Jews. Polish-speaking and not at all religiously educated or observant, they nevertheless had a social circle made up primarily of other assimilated Jews. Krupinski describes the increasing discrimination against Jews, which was on occasion violent. When he began studying medicine in 1937 as one of only a few Jews in a Polish university, he and the other Jews were expected to sit during lectures in the ‘bench ghetto’ – particular benches set aside for Jews only. He and his fellow Jewish students chose to stand for the duration of their lectures, whilst left-wing socialist friends of theirs would sit in the ‘bench ghetto’ as an act of solidarity.

Krupinksi was an atheist from a young age, as well as being politically involved. He joined the Polish socialist movement, because of what he describes as his opposition to fascism and frustration with the growing lack of democracy, rather than because of pure sympathy for the poor. He states: “I sided… with the liberal intellectuals rather than with working class leftists, although both opposed the dangerous right.”

In September 1939, the Germans invade western Poland. Krupinski escapes for Lvov, which is at that stage under Russian rule. From there, he flees with his then-girlfriend, Iza, to the small town of Nieswiez, where he spends the winter of 1939-1940. He then crosses illegally back into Warsaw, where he is reunited with his parents. In October 1940, the Warsaw Ghetto is established. Conditions become increasingly difficult, especially for the poor. Middle class people like Krupinski’s family are able to get by initially, and Krupinski himself manages to obtain certain extra privileges because he works as a medical intern in a hospital.

In July 1942, the mass deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto begin, and Krupinski loses both of his parents. He manages to escape with his wife, Pauline, to the ‘Aryan’ side of Warsaw. There they obtain false Polish papers, adopt new names, and go into hiding with the help of non-Jewish, left-wing friends from Krupinski’s university days. They move from place to place, living in constant fear of being caught. Whenever a hiding spot appears compromised, they move, and on occasion they bribe people in order to avoid capture. In mid-1943 Krupinski, who is able to walk the streets in relative safety due to his ‘Aryan’ appearance, rents a flat for himself and Pauline. Once living on their own, Krupinski joins a left-wing Polish underground group. Pauline goes into hiding in Sulejowek, a nearby town, and he visits her on weekends. Eventually, the two are in Sulejowek when it is liberated by the Russians in August 1944.

Following liberation, Jerzy and Pauline Krupinski move east in order to ensure that they remain in ‘liberated territory’. They begin rebuilding their lives in Poland, and Jerzy finishes his medical qualification and becomes involved politically; in particular, he becomes an active proponent of public health care. In 1960, the couple leave Poland for Australia. There they began a new life and raised a family. Jerzy also continued his career and made important contributions to the field of health care.

Cleverly written, insightful and detailed, My Four Lives lays bare the stark contrasts that are possible within a single person’s life; Krupinski’s memoirs describe periods of blissful normality as well as times of horrific trauma. Krupinski provides apt descriptions of historical events throughout the book, which provide useful context for the reader attempting to understand his experiences, without drowning out the sound of the experiences themselves. Krupinski states of his memoir: “One could characterise this book as an historic document, describing most of the 20th century through the experiences of one person.”