World History

appalachiablue

(43,706 posts) Sun Nov 23, 2025, 11:16 PM Sunday

Poland Oak Tree, 650 Yrs Old, Believed to Have Hidden 2 Jewish Brothers in Trunk, WW2 Nazi Occup.

'Oak Jozef. The hollow trunk of this 650-year-old tree was used as a hideout by two Jewish brothers during World War II.' Atlas Obscura, March 30, 2017.
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The Oak Jozef, a 650-year-old English Oak in the Wisniowa region of southeast Poland, has long been a Polish symbol of pride. In 1934, its image proudly appeared on the 100-Zloty bill—and that was before it performed one of its most remarkable feats, hiding two Jewish brothers in its trunk during the Nazi occupation of Poland in World War II.

The brothers reportedly took shelter in the lower, larger hollow of the tree, while the upper section of the hollow was used as a lookout point. They are believed to have been in hiding after escaping from either the Nazi-established Fryszstak ghetto, or a nearby labor camp. They were shown the old English Oak by one of many Poles who aided Jews during the war, and successfully survived the occupation. Their fate after the war is unknown...
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/oak-jozef
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'Tree believed to have hidden Jews during Holocaust voted Europe’s best.' The Times of Israel, March 28, 2017.
Local residents and historians say hollowed-out trunk of 650-year-old Polish oak sheltered brothers from Nazis during WWII...
https://www.timesofisrael.com/tree-believed-to-have-hidden-jews-during-holocaust-voted-europes-best/

4 replies

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Poland Oak Tree, 650 Yrs Old, Believed to Have Hidden 2 Jewish Brothers in Trunk, WW2 Nazi Occup. (Original Post) appalachiablue Sunday OP

Remarkable! calimary Sunday #1

Yes, it's really. amazing. I wonder about the brothers fate, who knows. appalachiablue Sunday #2

Wonderful story, but I wonder about the tree and its own survival... hlthe2b Yesterday #3

Based on the photos in this article, I had similar concerns esp the long, narrow opening in the lower part of the tree. appalachiablue 17 hrs ago #4

calimary

(88,604 posts)

1. Remarkable!

Reply to appalachiablue (Original post)

Sun Nov 23, 2025, 11:43 PM

Sunday

What a tree! What a story!

What a legacy!!!

The Oak Jozef, a 650-year-old English Oak in the Wisniowa region of southeast Poland, has long been a Polish symbol of pride.

appalachiablue

(43,706 posts)

2. Yes, it's really. amazing. I wonder about the brothers fate, who knows.

Reply to calimary (Reply #1)

Sun Nov 23, 2025, 11:48 PM

Sunday

hlthe2b

(112,262 posts)

3. Wonderful story, but I wonder about the tree and its own survival...

Reply to appalachiablue (Original post)

Mon Nov 24, 2025, 06:19 AM

Yesterday

Not sure how a hollowed-out trunk can allow for a tree to survive. I'm not questioning the truth of the story, and I am no arborist or tree surgeon--just how the tree healed enough to be standing today. The perspective given by the video is not very useful to appreciate what must be a massive tree and trunk. The "hollows" that the boys used to go in and out seem really modest and scarcely big enough to put a baby in. Perhaps they have partially "healed" or been treated to allow the tree to survive? Again, it is probably the video perspective, but I have 100-year-old oaks that are far more massive near me, and this is thought to be 650 years old? Perhaps there will be some follow-up videos to this one better allowing the viewer to appreciate the tree's trunk and girth.

I join others in wishing the rest of the story for the boys and their lives after the war was known. Marvelous survival story, though.

appalachiablue

(43,706 posts)

4. Based on the photos in this article, I had similar concerns esp the long, narrow opening in the lower part of the tree.

Reply to hlthe2b (Reply #3)

Mon Nov 24, 2025, 01:56 PM

17 hrs ago

When this story came out in 2017, the photos of the openings I noted seemed more feasible for humans to use, esp the bottom area.

(Look at the Oak images in the link Below, that I found online today).

Since 2017 maybe there has also been some kind of treatment, like sealing and healing in the bottom part that caused it to change significantly as you mentioned. Agree that the bottom opening looks too tight for a boy or adult to climb through.

I'm not a tree expert either and I want to believe that the brothers hideout story is true.

I just searched online and saw a mention of the remnants of wood 'planks' inside the tree that could have served as crude stairs between the interior levels. Interesting!

At any rate thanks much for your comments. Guten tag!

Photos, article 2020.
https://www.internationaloaksociety.org/content/d%C4%85b-j%C3%B3zef-j%C3%B3zef-oak

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