Janek

Memorabilia - Jakub (Janek)

Electrical Engineer, born in 1913, in Krakow.

What were the circumstances around Janek's recruitment by the CIA ?. In 2014 Vladimir came across a number of cables on the Wikileaks site which helped to shed some light on Janek's involvement and his defection to the USA.

Conferences

As director of a major energy corporation, Janek attended many conferences.

Medals

Above is the Order of Polonia Restituta (Polish: Order Odrodzenia Polski, English: Order of Rebirth of Poland) is one of Poland's highest Orders. The Order can be conferred for outstanding achievements in the fields of education, sport, culture, art, economics, national defense, social work, civil service, or for furthering good relations between countries. It was established on 4 February 1921 and can be awarded to both civilians and soldiers, as well as to foreigners.
The Order of Polonia Restituta is commonly believed to be the successor to the Order of the Knights of Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr established by the last King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth – Stanisław August Poniatowski, to honor supporters of the Polish Crown.
Source : Wikipedia

Above is the Medal of the 10th Anniversary of People's Poland (Polish: Medal 10-lecia Polski Ludowej)A former Polish civil state award established on 23 May 1954 to recognise services to the state.It was created to mark the tenth anniversary of the post-World War II establishment of communist Poland.The medal was awarded between 22 July 1954 and 22 July 1955. It was disestablished in 1992.
Source : Wikipedia
Next to the medal is a certificate that Jan Drobot is a recipient of the Medal of the 10th Anniversary of People's Poland.

Workers Union Membership and Work Identity Documents

all workers were required to carry work permits and identity documents

Payment of union dues was recorded by stamps

1945 temporary card work permit, perhaps waiting for a certified document

1952 Work Identification document

1946 Work Identification Document

Janek's Union Membership card

India

Janek spent a lot ot time in India. Here are 3 pictures from that era :
left to right : Indira Gandhi was the first and, to date, only female Prime Minister of India from 1966 1977 and again 1980 until assassination in 1984
Jan enjoying a tiger hunt
Jan signing an agreement to supply a sugar refinery

Yad Vashem Testimonies

In 1980 Janek visited Israel and was invited to provide holocaust victims' testimony. He provided one for his mother, and two for his older brothers Roman and Josef. We can only speculate why he specified "do not know" for the place of residence during the war and circumstances of death.
It's also puzzling why he spelled Diament rather then Djament.

Chave's mother's name was Chaya LIND. As far as we know during the war she lived at 45 Starowislna until transported to Sobibor a German extermination camp.

Josef was shot in Lwow by the Ukranians.

We think that Roman lived with his wife Rosalie and two children also at 45 Starowislna until transported to Sobibor a German extermination camp.