293:. The fight was inconclusive, but Pietrzykowski was considered by many to be the winner as his opponent was better fed, better rested, and had a 40-to-70 kg weight advantage. His performance in the fight gained him the approval of camp personnel and started his career as a boxer within the camp. Although boxing matches were intended as amusement for camp personnel, the fights became popular with the prisoners as well, and Pietrzykowski's victories over German opponents or collaborators boosted morale among the inmates.
333:
of their otherwise miserable lives in the camps. In
Neuengamme, Pietrzykowski was considered undefeated. One of his most notable opponents was German-American heavyweight boxer, Schally Hottenbach, nicknamed "Hammerschlag" (Hammer Strike), whom Pietrzykowski defeated in August 1943. His undefeated string, once again, irritated some Germans, and once again rumors started to spread that some German personnel were planning to murder him. However, Pietrzykowski was able to arrange a transfer for himself to another camp in
282:, by helping to sabotage the saddle of Höss' horse. The assassination attempt failed, but resulted in Höss breaking a leg. The incident was classified as an accident by the Germans, and the prisoners were not punished. Later, Pietrzykowski killed Höss' dog, which had been trained to attack Jewish prisoners and had killed at least one of them. The dog was cooked and eaten by the prisoners. Pietrzykowski was also involved in other resistance activities, such as passing information and sabotaging labor activities.
297:
for the amusement of the onlookers. In particular, he tried to help the Jewish boxers he fought, recognizing that the matches were more perilous for them; in at least one case he tied on purpose, drawing a compromise between maintaining his winning streak and avoiding drawing the guards' ire to his Jewish opponent. Several times he fought German opponents in fights that were considered to be particularly vicious. He was victorious against German professional boxers such as
Wilhelm Maier and
31:
309:
single fight in the summer of 1942 (against a Dutch Jew and also professional boxer, middleweight champion Leen
Sanders); Pietrzykowski would go on to win a later rematch between the two. The rewards for his victories were the privileges of being allowed to choose where to work and extra food, which he often shared with other prisoners. At one point, he received a proposal to sign the
332:
In
Neuengamme, he continued boxing, defeating opponents ranging from German kapos to an Italian professional boxer. As in Auschwitz, his fights were popular not just among the guards, but among the prisoners, a number of whom mentioned in their diaries that they were the cultural and sport highlight
296:
He faced a number of opponents in
Auschwitz, including other imprisoned Polish boxers such as Michał Janowczyk. Sometimes his opponents were prisoner volunteers. Pietrzykowski tried to adjust his style to his opponents, avoiding injuring them (unless they were German kapos) and prolonging the fights
308:
Due to his style, which favored evasion, the
Germans nicknamed Pietrzykowski the Weißer Nebel (White Fog). Boxing fights for the amusement of the German personnel took place most Sundays. While in Auschwitz, Pietrzykowski fought between 40 and 60 matches and had a long winning streak, losing only a
364:
where he organized sport activities for the soldiers. He also sparred with other soldiers, winning his
Division lightweight boxing championship in 1946. In 1947, he returned to Poland, where he testified in the trial of Rudolf Höss. He tried to restart his sport career, but developed illnesses and
213:. He received a number of positive write-ups in the interwar Polish sports press, and was nicknamed "Teddy" or "Teddi". He was at the height of his sports career in the years 1936 and 1937; in 1935 his boxing section advanced to the A-rank in Warsaw, and in 1937 he qualified for the finals in the
324:
Some of
Pietrzykowski's victories over German opponents made him enemies among German personnel, and there were rumors that he would be executed in revenge. However, in March 1943, a visiting German official, Hans Lütkemeyer of the newly opened
301:. Some of his fights were more impromptu: for example, in May 1941, with permission of a guard, he challenged a prisoner who was beating another prisoner; only later did he learn that he had rescued a priest who later became Saint
1095:
1260:
497:
Joanna Cieśla and Antoni
Molenda, Tadeusz Pietrzykowski “Teddy” (1917–1991) (Katowice: Towarzystwo Opieki nad Oświęcimiem, Oddział Wojewódzki, 1995); and, Bogacka, Bokser Z Auschwitz (Demart SA, 2012).
329:, recognized Pietrzykowski, whom he had met during a match in 1938. Lütkemeyer invited Pietrzykowski to transfer to the new camp, which he accepted. He was transferred to Neuengamme on 14 March 1943.
384:
His life is the subject of two in-depth biographies. Parts of
Pietrzykowski's life, particularly his fight against Schally Hottenbach, served as the basis for a 1962 film by the Slovak director
185:
in June 1940, and was transferred to Neuengamme in 1943. He is remembered as the boxing champion of Auschwitz. Pietrzykowski's life story has been the subject of several books and movies.
1139:
285:
He took part in his first unofficial boxing fight in the camp in March 1941, motivated by the promise of additional food rations. The match was against Walter Dünning, a German
422:
In April 2020, the town council of Bielsko-Biała announced it would commemorate Pietrzykowski. There had been a street named after him in Bielsko-Biała, but it closed in 2008.
905:
227:
declared him "the best bantamweight boxer in Warsaw". Around that time he suffered an injury and was expelled from his school, and his boxing section was disbanded.
259:
255:
182:
1043:
1235:
341:), where he became ill, but recovered. In total, he fought at least 20 matches in Neuengamme. His last opponent was Russian soldier Kostia Konstantinow.
515:
1013:
1215:
1117:
1210:
543:
419:
as the main protagonist, was announced in 2019 and was planned to premier in Poland in the autumn of 2020, but was delayed till spring 2021.
599:
405:
712:
369:
238:, volunteering for a light artillery regiment. In early 1940, following the Polish defeat, he attempted to travel to France, where the
913:
1265:
1250:
1069:
467:(1923-2009), Jewish-Greek boxer imprisoned at Auschwitz, and forced to fight other internees; his story was fictionalized as
987:
278:. A few months later he took part in an assassination attempt against a high-ranking German officer in the camp, commandant
239:
642:
582:
80:
788:
349:
271:
909:
820:
1240:
430:
361:
214:
326:
174:
376:, where he became a sport and physical education teacher, and boxing instructor. He died on 17 August 1991.
1255:
1014:""Mistrz". Historia Polaka, który zdobył tytuł mistrza wszechwag obozu koncentracyjnego Auschwitz-Birkenau"
345:
251:
849:
1230:
1225:
338:
242:. He was arrested in Hungary, and deported back to Poland, where he was interrogated and tortured by the
314:
206:
145:
1162:
1245:
1220:
1118:"Pierwsza walka polskiego mistrza boksu w obozie Auschwitz. Tak rozprawił się ze sadystycznym kapo"
609:
411:
604:
385:
235:
572:
520:
469:
130:
753:
1205:
1200:
313:, which would have enabled him to leave the camp, but he refused. At another time, he was
223:
8:
713:"Obozowe lata Tadeusza Pietrzykowskiego – boksera, który pięściami wywalczył sobie życie"
298:
166:
403:, 1975). Pietrzykowski's story was also featured in a movie about famous Polish boxers,
321:
by the camp medical personnel during a check-up in the camp hospital, but he survived.
231:
170:
724:
638:
578:
290:
416:
1174:
302:
373:
352:. He survived there until the camp was liberated a month later, on 15 April 1945.
98:
1044:"Bokser z Auschwitz. Bielsko-Biała upamiętni Tadeusza Teddy'ego Pietrzykowskiego"
632:
161:
1096:"WYSTAWA CZASOWA "TADEUSZ PIETRZYKOWSKI – WOJOWNIK O DUSZY ARTYSTY" JUŻ OTWARTA"
390:
878:
476:
275:
202:
123:
368:
Pietrzykowski was married three times. In 1959 he finished his studies at the
279:
1194:
1179:
728:
464:
455:(Personal Set of Values) featuring a song "Teddy" devoted to Pietrzykowski.
218:
210:
178:
135:
448:
396:
935:
961:
440:
His story is also featured in Andrzej Fedorowicz's 2020 historical book
30:
334:
310:
270:
In March 1941, Pietrzykowski joined the Auschwitz resistance movement,
754:"TADEUSZ 'TEDDY' PIETRZYKOWSKI - JEDYNY MISTRZ WSZECHWAG KL AUSCHWITZ"
548:
479:(1915-2004), Polish boxer who also fought for his life in Auschwitz.
434:
247:
289:
and the German middleweight vice-champion. The match was judged by
165:; 8 April 1917 – 17 April 1991) was a Polish boxer,
1261:
Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw alumni
1163:"Excessive Masculinity: Boxer Narratives in Holocaust Literature"
1140:"Basti "Teddy" – utwór i animacja o polskim bokserze z Auschwitz"
425:
In May 2021, an exhibition of Pietrzykowski's paintings entitled
365:
his official post-war match record is 15 victories and two ties.
243:
516:"Au camp d'Auschwitz, la boxe fut aussi un moyen pour survivre"
318:
194:
76:
821:"The Story of the Champion Who Boxed in Auschwitz to Survive"
637:. Tow. Opieki nad Oświęcimiem, Oddz. Wojewódzki. p. 5.
630:
286:
246:. On 14 June 1940, he was moved from a regular prison in
427:
Tadeusz Pietrzykowski – A Warrior with an Artist's Soul
451:-based Polish rapper Basti released an album entitled
256:
first mass transport to Auschwitz concentration camp
221:
class. A 1938 edition of the Polish sports magazine
197:
to father Tadeusz, an engineer, and mother Sylwina (
205:. In his youth he joined the boxing section of the
201:Bieńkowska), a teacher, both members of the Polish
348:was approaching, Pietrzykowski was transferred to
234:in September 1939, Pietrzykowski took part in the
624:
1192:
360:After being liberated, Pietrzykowski joined the
988:"W Auschwitz dziadek walczył o życie pięściami"
787:Blaut, Maciej; Płatek, Piotr (6 March 2008).
577:. Univ of North Carolina Press. p. 130.
850:"Walki bokserskie w obozach koncetracyjnych"
508:
1070:"Premiera "Mistrza" przełożona na 2021 rok"
786:
564:
1236:Bergen-Belsen concentration camp survivors
399:who would later write a book based on it (
370:University of Physical Education in Warsaw
193:Pietrzykowski was born on 8 April 1917 in
1178:
936:"Józef Hen | Życie i twórczość | Artysta"
591:
1041:
634:Tadeusz Pietrzykowski "Teddy": 1917-1991
570:
536:
1216:Neuengamme concentration camp survivors
710:
631:Joanna Cieślak; Antoni Molenda (1995).
1211:Auschwitz concentration camp survivors
1193:
1160:
597:
409:(2018). Another movie about his life,
217:and became the Warsaw Champion in the
1037:
1035:
873:
871:
844:
842:
706:
704:
702:
700:
698:
696:
694:
692:
690:
688:
686:
684:
682:
680:
678:
676:
674:
444:(The Gladiators of the Death Camps).
317:; he was intentionally infected with
160:
903:
897:
815:
813:
811:
809:
782:
780:
778:
776:
774:
748:
746:
744:
742:
740:
738:
672:
670:
668:
666:
664:
662:
660:
658:
656:
654:
265:
1062:
13:
1032:
868:
839:
544:"Teddy, le gladiateur d'Auschwitz"
491:
14:
1277:
806:
771:
735:
651:
473:, a 1989 biographical drama film.
395:) with a script by Polish writer
315:subjected to a medical experiment
183:first mass transport to Auschwitz
355:
350:Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
162:[taˈdɛ.uʂpjɛtʂɨˈkɔfskʲi]
29:
1154:
1132:
1110:
1088:
1006:
980:
954:
928:
910:Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum
789:"Mistrz wszechwag KL Auschwitz"
177:run by the German Nazis during
169:soldier, and a prisoner at the
904:Cyra, Adam (15 October 2007).
600:"Gladiatorzy z obozów śmierci"
492:
431:Museum of the Second World War
379:
372:. In the 1960s, he settled in
240:Polish Army was being reformed
175:Neuengamme concentration camps
1:
1266:20th-century Polish sportsmen
1251:Polish people of World War II
793:Magazyn Katowice. Wyborcza.pl
552:(in French). 24 December 2012
524:(in French). 24 December 2012
501:
327:Neuengamme concentration camp
272:Związek Organizacji Wojskowej
209:club, where he trained under
188:
1042:Redakcja (4 February 2020).
1020:(in Polish). 22 January 2020
994:(in Polish). 19 October 2016
362:Polish 1st Armoured Division
254:. He arrived there with the
252:Auschwitz concentration camp
7:
1142:(in Polish). 27 August 2021
458:
215:Polish Boxing Championships
10:
1282:
571:Langbein, Hermann (2004).
442:Gladiatorzy obozów śmierci
274:, working directly under
232:German invasion of Poland
141:
129:
119:
114:
106:
87:
62:
54:
42:
37:
28:
1180:10.18318/td.2017.en.2.13
856:(in Polish). 24 May 2018
483:
339:KZ Salzgitter-Watenstedt
110:53 kg (117 lb)
18:Polish boxer (1917–1991)
992:plus.gazetakrakowska.pl
717:Pamięć i Sprawiedliwość
711:Bogacka, Marta (2012).
453:Osobisty Zbiór Wartości
1161:Wolski, Paweł (2017).
879:""Bokser z Auschwitz""
344:In March 1945, as the
1241:Polish sports coaches
598:Fedorowicz, Andrzej.
470:Triumph of the Spirit
393:- The Boxer and Death
181:. He was part of the
158:Polish pronunciation:
154:Tadeusz Pietrzykowski
23:Tadeusz Pietrzykowski
429:, was opened at the
260:camp prisoner number
38:Personal information
1256:Bantamweight boxers
574:People in Auschwitz
167:Polish Armed Forces
25:
1231:Boxers from Warsaw
1226:Polish male boxers
916:on 22 January 2015
612:on 21 January 2015
171:Auschwitz-Birkenau
21:
1048:Dziennik Zachodni
906:"Bokser i śmierć"
827:. 24 January 2020
291:Bruno Brodniewicz
266:Life in the camps
224:Przegląd Sportowy
151:
150:
131:Weight class
81:Kingdom of Poland
1273:
1185:
1184:
1182:
1158:
1152:
1151:
1149:
1147:
1136:
1130:
1129:
1127:
1125:
1114:
1108:
1107:
1105:
1103:
1092:
1086:
1085:
1083:
1081:
1066:
1060:
1059:
1057:
1055:
1039:
1030:
1029:
1027:
1025:
1010:
1004:
1003:
1001:
999:
984:
978:
977:
975:
973:
958:
952:
951:
949:
947:
932:
926:
925:
923:
921:
912:. Archived from
901:
895:
894:
892:
890:
875:
866:
865:
863:
861:
846:
837:
836:
834:
832:
817:
804:
803:
801:
799:
784:
769:
768:
766:
764:
750:
733:
732:
708:
649:
648:
628:
622:
621:
619:
617:
608:. Archived from
595:
589:
588:
568:
562:
561:
559:
557:
540:
534:
533:
531:
529:
512:
496:
303:Maximilian Kolbe
258:, receiving the
164:
159:
102:
94:
83:
72:
70:
45:
33:
26:
20:
1281:
1280:
1276:
1275:
1274:
1272:
1271:
1270:
1246:Boxing trainers
1221:Polish soldiers
1191:
1190:
1189:
1188:
1159:
1155:
1145:
1143:
1138:
1137:
1133:
1123:
1121:
1116:
1115:
1111:
1101:
1099:
1094:
1093:
1089:
1079:
1077:
1074:film.interia.pl
1068:
1067:
1063:
1053:
1051:
1040:
1033:
1023:
1021:
1012:
1011:
1007:
997:
995:
986:
985:
981:
971:
969:
962:"FilmPolski.pl"
960:
959:
955:
945:
943:
934:
933:
929:
919:
917:
902:
898:
888:
886:
877:
876:
869:
859:
857:
848:
847:
840:
830:
828:
819:
818:
807:
797:
795:
785:
772:
762:
760:
752:
751:
736:
723:(20): 139–166.
709:
652:
645:
629:
625:
615:
613:
596:
592:
585:
569:
565:
555:
553:
542:
541:
537:
527:
525:
514:
513:
509:
504:
486:
461:
401:Bokser i śmierć
382:
358:
268:
236:Siege of Warsaw
191:
157:
97:
96:
92:
75:
74:
68:
66:
43:
24:
19:
12:
11:
5:
1279:
1269:
1268:
1263:
1258:
1253:
1248:
1243:
1238:
1233:
1228:
1223:
1218:
1213:
1208:
1203:
1187:
1186:
1153:
1131:
1109:
1087:
1061:
1031:
1005:
979:
953:
927:
896:
867:
838:
805:
770:
758:www.bokser.org
734:
650:
643:
623:
590:
583:
563:
535:
506:
505:
503:
500:
485:
482:
481:
480:
477:Antoni Czortek
474:
460:
457:
417:Piotr Głowacki
381:
378:
357:
354:
276:Witold Pilecki
267:
264:
230:Following the
203:intelligentsia
190:
187:
149:
148:
143:
139:
138:
133:
127:
126:
121:
117:
116:
112:
111:
108:
104:
103:
95:(aged 74)
89:
85:
84:
64:
60:
59:
56:
52:
51:
46:
40:
39:
35:
34:
22:
17:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1278:
1267:
1264:
1262:
1259:
1257:
1254:
1252:
1249:
1247:
1244:
1242:
1239:
1237:
1234:
1232:
1229:
1227:
1224:
1222:
1219:
1217:
1214:
1212:
1209:
1207:
1204:
1202:
1199:
1198:
1196:
1181:
1176:
1172:
1168:
1167:Teksty Drugie
1164:
1157:
1141:
1135:
1119:
1113:
1097:
1091:
1075:
1071:
1065:
1049:
1045:
1038:
1036:
1019:
1015:
1009:
993:
989:
983:
967:
963:
957:
941:
937:
931:
915:
911:
907:
900:
884:
880:
874:
872:
855:
851:
845:
843:
826:
822:
816:
814:
812:
810:
794:
790:
783:
781:
779:
777:
775:
759:
755:
749:
747:
745:
743:
741:
739:
730:
726:
722:
719:(in Polish).
718:
714:
707:
705:
703:
701:
699:
697:
695:
693:
691:
689:
687:
685:
683:
681:
679:
677:
675:
673:
671:
669:
667:
665:
663:
661:
659:
657:
655:
646:
644:9788390294216
640:
636:
635:
627:
611:
607:
606:
601:
594:
586:
584:9780807828168
580:
576:
575:
567:
551:
550:
545:
539:
523:
522:
517:
511:
507:
499:
495:
494:
490:
478:
475:
472:
471:
466:
465:Salamo Arouch
463:
462:
456:
454:
450:
445:
443:
438:
436:
432:
428:
423:
420:
418:
414:
413:
408:
407:
402:
398:
394:
392:
387:
377:
375:
374:Bielsko-Biała
371:
366:
363:
356:After the war
353:
351:
347:
346:Eastern Front
342:
340:
336:
330:
328:
322:
320:
316:
312:
306:
304:
300:
294:
292:
288:
283:
281:
277:
273:
263:
261:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
233:
228:
226:
225:
220:
216:
212:
208:
204:
200:
196:
186:
184:
180:
176:
172:
168:
163:
155:
147:
144:
140:
137:
134:
132:
128:
125:
122:
118:
113:
109:
105:
100:
99:Bielsko-Biała
91:17 April 1991
90:
86:
82:
78:
65:
61:
57:
53:
50:
47:
41:
36:
32:
27:
16:
1170:
1166:
1156:
1144:. Retrieved
1134:
1122:. Retrieved
1112:
1100:. Retrieved
1090:
1078:. Retrieved
1073:
1064:
1052:. Retrieved
1047:
1022:. Retrieved
1017:
1008:
996:. Retrieved
991:
982:
970:. Retrieved
965:
956:
944:. Retrieved
939:
930:
918:. Retrieved
914:the original
899:
887:. Retrieved
882:
858:. Retrieved
854:www.focus.pl
853:
829:. Retrieved
825:www.vice.com
824:
796:. Retrieved
792:
761:. Retrieved
757:
720:
716:
633:
626:
614:. Retrieved
610:the original
603:
593:
573:
566:
554:. Retrieved
547:
538:
526:. Retrieved
519:
510:
493:
488:
487:
468:
452:
446:
441:
439:
426:
424:
421:
412:The Champion
410:
404:
400:
391:Boxer a smrť
389:
383:
367:
359:
343:
331:
323:
307:
295:
284:
269:
229:
222:
219:bantamweight
211:Feliks Stamm
207:Legia Warsaw
198:
192:
179:World War II
153:
152:
146:Legia Warsaw
136:Bantamweight
93:(1991-04-17)
73:8 April 1917
48:
15:
1206:1991 deaths
1201:1917 births
1173:: 209–229.
1146:1 September
1124:1 September
1120:(in Polish)
1102:1 September
1098:(in Polish)
1076:(in Polish)
1050:(in Polish)
968:(in Polish)
942:(in Polish)
885:(in Polish)
447:In 2021, a
386:Peter Solan
380:Remembrance
299:Harry Stein
280:Rudolf Höss
55:Nationality
1195:Categories
966:FilmPolski
940:Culture.pl
920:21 January
616:21 January
556:21 January
528:21 January
502:References
406:Ring Wolny
335:Salzgitter
311:Volksliste
189:Early life
69:1917-04-08
1080:8 October
883:dzieje.pl
729:1427-7476
549:Le Figaro
521:L'Express
397:Józef Hen
1018:gazetapl
459:See also
101:, Poland
44:Nickname
1054:14 July
1024:14 July
998:14 July
972:14 July
946:14 July
889:14 July
860:13 July
831:13 July
798:14 July
763:14 July
415:, with
250:to the
244:Gestapo
727:
641:
581:
435:Gdańsk
319:typhus
248:Tarnów
195:Warsaw
124:Boxing
107:Weight
77:Warsaw
58:Polish
605:Focus
484:Notes
120:Sport
115:Sport
49:Teddy
1148:2021
1126:2021
1104:2021
1082:2020
1056:2020
1026:2020
1000:2020
974:2020
948:2020
922:2015
891:2020
862:2020
833:2020
800:2020
765:2020
725:ISSN
639:ISBN
618:2015
579:ISBN
558:2015
530:2015
449:Łódź
287:kapo
262:77.
173:and
142:Club
88:Died
63:Born
1175:doi
433:in
199:née
1197::
1169:.
1165:.
1072:.
1046:.
1034:^
1016:.
990:.
964:.
938:.
908:.
881:.
870:^
852:.
841:^
823:.
808:^
791:.
773:^
756:.
737:^
715:.
653:^
602:.
546:.
518:.
437:.
305:.
79:,
1183:.
1177::
1171:2
1150:.
1128:.
1106:.
1084:.
1058:.
1028:.
1002:.
976:.
950:.
924:.
893:.
864:.
835:.
802:.
767:.
731:.
721:2
647:.
620:.
587:.
560:.
532:.
489:a
388:(
337:(
156:(
71:)
67:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
