H. Wawrzyniak
Class 4
Nicolaus Copernicus State Middle and Secondary School in Toruń
14 June 1946
How did I study during the occupation?
I did not attend secret classes. I learned Polish by myself at home. During the occupation, I was in Toruń, where all things Polish were severely persecuted.
The living conditions were very difficult. For this reason, I could not devote much energy to learning my native language. Moreover, we suffered from a complete lack of teachers and Polish textbooks in Toruń.
Studying together with other young people was out of the question. Even studying on my own I was in danger of being detected by the Germans who were watching us closely. It is difficult for me to say what material (program) I mastered, because I studied a little of all major subjects, such as Polish, English, mathematics, geography and history. Pre-war textbooks were very scarce.