Sendler was born in 1910 in Warsaw and raised in Otwock, about 15 miles away. Her father, a doctor who treated mostly poor Jewish patients, shaped her early. She trained as a nurse and social worker and used that standing to move through German-occupied Warsaw during World War II.
As head of the children's division of Zegota, the Polish underground council that aided Jews, she got around 2,500 children out of the Ghetto, gave them false identities, and placed them with non-Jewish families, orphanages, and convents. She buried the children's real names in jars under an apple tree, planning to reunite them with their parents after the war. Most of those parents were killed in the death camps.
Her network used whatever worked. Children went out hidden under stretchers in ambulances, through a courthouse that bordered the Ghetto, through the underground sewers, in sacks on trolleys, and packed into briefcases, toolboxes, coffins, and potato sacks. The Germans caught on in October 1943, arrested her, tortured her, and sentenced her to death. She was freed in February 1944 after the resistance bribed a Gestapo agent, and she survived the war with the children's records intact (Yad Vashem).
Late in life, Poland awarded Sendler the Order of the White Eagle, its highest honor. In 2007 she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and named a national hero by the Polish parliament. She lived out her years in a Warsaw apartment and died on May 12, 2008. Schools across Poland now carry her name.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Irena Sendler? A Polish nurse and social worker who, as head of the children's section of the underground council Zegota, helped smuggle about 2,500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II (USHMM).
How did she get the children out? Her network used whatever worked: ambulances, a courthouse that bordered the Ghetto, the sewers, and hidden compartments in toolboxes, sacks, and even coffins. The children were given false identities and placed with non-Jewish families, orphanages, and convents.
Why did she keep records of the children's names? She buried the children's real names in coded lists in jars under an apple tree, so families could be reunited after the war (Yad Vashem). Most of the parents were killed in the death camps.
Was she ever caught? Yes. The Gestapo arrested and tortured her in October 1943 and sentenced her to death. The resistance bribed an officer, and she was freed in February 1944.
Did she win the Nobel Peace Prize? She was nominated in 2007 but did not win. Poland recognized her with its highest honors, including the Order of the White Eagle, and named her a national hero. She died on May 12, 2008.