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Marek Edelman is dead
Marek Edelman who was the last living leader of the uprising in Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw died on Friday in his house in Warsaw. Edaelam was a soldier during World War II (The Warsaw Uprising), well known cardiologist and oppositionist in communist Poland.
We do not know exact date of his birthday, but it is believed that he was born on the 1st January 1922 in Homel. His Jewish family was connected with a popular socialist organisation called “Bund”. His father died when Marek was very young. When he was 20, he moved to Warsaw. His mather died in 1934 so we had to start working.
During the occupation Edelman became involved in Jewish Combat Organization. After suicide of Mordechaj Anielewicz, Edelman became the leader of this organization. “Humankind agreed that it was better to die with our hands on the trigger of our guns than without them” – explained Marek Edelman. Hanna Krall wrote an interesting book about Edelman “Shielding the Flame” which tells the story about his activity during the war. Edelman escaped from the ghetto and started hiding. He took also part in the Warsaw Uprising.
After World War II he did not leave Poland and moved to Lodz where he became a cardiologist. In cooperation with Professor Jan Moll, Edelman devised very modern method of operation human heart during the heart attack.
