Wanda Półtawska was a Polish doctor and author who was tortured in medical experiments by the Nazis, and later went on to befriend the future Pope John Paul II (1920–2005).
- Died: October 24, 2023 (Who else died on October 24?)
- Details of death: Died in Kraków, Poland, at the age of 101.
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Wanda Półtawska’s legacy
At just 19, Półtawska was arrested by Nazi forces and charged with aiding the Polish resistance movement. She was interned at the Ravensbrück concentration camp, where she was tortured in a series of gruesome medical experiments for four years. Półtawska survived the harrowing experience and later wrote about them in her book, “And I Am Afraid of My Dreams.”
After being freed, she earned a doctorate in psychiatry from the Jagiellonian University and began researching the experiences of Holocaust survivors. She also established the Institute of Family Theology at the Pontifical Academy of Theology in Kraków, which she managed for over three decades.
After gaining her freedom from the Nazis, she befriended a priest, Karol Józef Wojtyła. The pair bonded over their fierce devotion to the Roman Catholic faith. Wojtyła later became Pope John Paul II. Despite his ascension to one of the highest positions in the world, the pair remained close friends until his death in 2005. Półtawska often conferred with and advised him on policy matters, including on the topics of abortion and contraception.
Notable quote
“I don’t consider myself a doctor of souls because I can’t touch your soul. But I am a doctor who knows that every patient has a soul — and this, so many of my colleagues don’t know.”—from a 2021 interview in National Catholic Register
Tributes to Wanda Półtawska
Full obituary: The New York Times
