Luciana Frassati Gawronska
Encyclopedia
Luciana Frassati Gawronska (August 18, 1902 – October 7, 2007) was an Italian
writer
and author
. Gawronska was a prominent anti-Nazi and anti-Fascist activist in both Poland
and Italy
and was considered a champion of Roman Catholic causes.
, Italy
, near the municipality
of Pollone
. Her father, Alfredo Frassati, was the founder of the Torino based newspaper
, La Stampa
, a well-known, daily newspaper. Her mother, Adelaide Ametis, was a well known painter
.
Frassati's brother was Pier Giorgio Frassati
, who died of polio in 1925. Her brother was formally beatified as "Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati" by Pope John Paul II
on May 20, 1990. Luciana Frassati Grawonska later wrote a first hand account of her brother's life, A Man of the Beatitudes. She campaigned throughout her life in the effort to elevate her brother to sainthood, though this has not yet occurred.
Frassati obtained a law degree
from the University of Turin
.
Frassati married Jan Gawronski in the spring of 1925. Gawronski was a diplomat
and secretary to the Polish ambassador to Italy
and the Vatican
at the time. Gawronski would later become the last Polish ambassador to Austria
before the country's annexation
by Nazi Germany
in 1938.
The couple had six children: Jas
, Alfredo, Wanda, Giovanna, Maria Grazia and Nella. Her son, Jas Gawronski
, is currently an Italian journalist
, politician
and Member of the European Parliament
.
, Turkey
, and Poland
. The couple moved to Austria in 1933, just as Adolf Hitler
was taking power in neighboring Germany. Jan Gawronski became the last ambassador of Poland to Austria before Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany
in the 1938 Anschluss
.
Luciana and her family moved to Warsaw, Poland, after the annexation of Austria. They lived in the city until the invasion and fall of Poland to the Nazis in 1939. The Nazis immediately began to round up Polish officials, intellectuals and others. Luciana's Italian citizenship (Italy was then ruled by Benito Mussolini
, an ally
of Hitler), and her relationship with prominent figures throughout Europe
, afforded the family some protection from the Nazis.
Frassati Gawronska acted to help Poland during World War II. With her Italian passport
, which allowed her to move freely between Poland and Italy, she made seven separate trips throughout Europe's Nazi held territories during the war, including to Warsaw
, Krakow
, Berlin
and Rome
. Frassati Gawronska managed to smuggle rescued artwork and documents linking the Nazis to autrocities out of Poland at great personal risk. She also distributed money to the Polish resistance
.
She also managed to rescue and move Polish families out of the country. Many, including entire families, were sent to relative safety in Italy. Among those rescued by Luciana Frassati Gawronska were Olga Helena Zubrzewska, wife of Gen. Władysław Sikorski, a major political figure and one of the leaders of the Polish resistance
. Through her influence she also managed to secure the release of more than one hundred professors of the University of Krakow.
, Italy
. Her funeral was held on October 9, 2007, at the Turin Cathedral. She was buried in her family's tomb next to her brother, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. Gawronska was a prominent anti-Nazi and anti-Fascist activist in both Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and was considered a champion of Roman Catholic causes.
Early life
Luciana Frassati was born on August 18, 1902, in BiellaBiella
Biella is a town and comune in the northern Italian region of Piemonte, the capital of the province of the same name, with some 45,800 inhabitants as of 2009. It is located about 80 km northeast of Turin and about 80 km west-northwest of Milan.It lies in the foothills of the Alps,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, near the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of Pollone
Pollone
Pollone is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km northeast of Turin and about 7 km west of Biella. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,208 and an area of 16.4 km²....
. Her father, Alfredo Frassati, was the founder of the Torino based newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, La Stampa
La Stampa
La Stampa is one of the best-known, most influential and most widely sold Italian daily newspapers. Published in Turin, it is distributed in Italy and other European nations. The current owner is the Fiat Group.-History:...
, a well-known, daily newspaper. Her mother, Adelaide Ametis, was a well known painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
Frassati's brother was Pier Giorgio Frassati
Pier Giorgio Frassati
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, T.O.S.D., was an Italian Catholic activist, who was a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic. He has been beatified by the Roman Catholic Church....
, who died of polio in 1925. Her brother was formally beatified as "Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati" by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on May 20, 1990. Luciana Frassati Grawonska later wrote a first hand account of her brother's life, A Man of the Beatitudes. She campaigned throughout her life in the effort to elevate her brother to sainthood, though this has not yet occurred.
Frassati obtained a law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
from the University of Turin
University of Turin
The University of Turin is a university in the city of Turin in the Piedmont region of north-western Italy...
.
Frassati married Jan Gawronski in the spring of 1925. Gawronski was a diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and secretary to the Polish ambassador to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
at the time. Gawronski would later become the last Polish ambassador to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
before the country's annexation
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
in 1938.
The couple had six children: Jas
Jas Gawronski
Jas Gawronski is an Italian journalist and politician. He was a Member of the European Parliament for North-West with the Forza Italia , Member of the Bureau of the European People's Party and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs.Gawronski, who speaks Polish fluently,...
, Alfredo, Wanda, Giovanna, Maria Grazia and Nella. Her son, Jas Gawronski
Jas Gawronski
Jas Gawronski is an Italian journalist and politician. He was a Member of the European Parliament for North-West with the Forza Italia , Member of the Bureau of the European People's Party and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs.Gawronski, who speaks Polish fluently,...
, is currently an Italian journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
.
World War II
Luciana lived in a number of European countries with her husband, including GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The couple moved to Austria in 1933, just as Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
was taking power in neighboring Germany. Jan Gawronski became the last ambassador of Poland to Austria before Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
in the 1938 Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
.
Luciana and her family moved to Warsaw, Poland, after the annexation of Austria. They lived in the city until the invasion and fall of Poland to the Nazis in 1939. The Nazis immediately began to round up Polish officials, intellectuals and others. Luciana's Italian citizenship (Italy was then ruled by Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
, an ally
Ally
Ally is a common unisex given name. It is a variant of Allie. It can also refer to:* Ally, a 1999 American TV sitcom that was a spin-off of Ally McBeal.* Ally Bank, an internet bank, formerly the banking unit of GMAC....
of Hitler), and her relationship with prominent figures throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, afforded the family some protection from the Nazis.
Frassati Gawronska acted to help Poland during World War II. With her Italian passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
, which allowed her to move freely between Poland and Italy, she made seven separate trips throughout Europe's Nazi held territories during the war, including to Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Frassati Gawronska managed to smuggle rescued artwork and documents linking the Nazis to autrocities out of Poland at great personal risk. She also distributed money to the Polish resistance
Polish resistance movement in World War II
The Polish resistance movement in World War II, with the Home Army at its forefront, was the largest underground resistance in all of Nazi-occupied Europe, covering both German and Soviet zones of occupation. The Polish defence against the Nazi occupation was an important part of the European...
.
She also managed to rescue and move Polish families out of the country. Many, including entire families, were sent to relative safety in Italy. Among those rescued by Luciana Frassati Gawronska were Olga Helena Zubrzewska, wife of Gen. Władysław Sikorski, a major political figure and one of the leaders of the Polish resistance
Polish resistance movement in World War II
The Polish resistance movement in World War II, with the Home Army at its forefront, was the largest underground resistance in all of Nazi-occupied Europe, covering both German and Soviet zones of occupation. The Polish defence against the Nazi occupation was an important part of the European...
. Through her influence she also managed to secure the release of more than one hundred professors of the University of Krakow.
Honors
Luciana Frassati Gawronska received the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland from the Polish government in 1993 for her service to the country. She was also named an admired woman of Poland in the March 1, 2003, issue of Wysokie Obcasy, joining other Polish and international figures such as Hillary Clinton.Death
Luciana Frassati Gawronska died on October 7, 2007, at the age of 105 at her home in PollonePollone
Pollone is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km northeast of Turin and about 7 km west of Biella. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,208 and an area of 16.4 km²....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Her funeral was held on October 9, 2007, at the Turin Cathedral. She was buried in her family's tomb next to her brother, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
Pier Giorgio Frassati
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, T.O.S.D., was an Italian Catholic activist, who was a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic. He has been beatified by the Roman Catholic Church....
.