INFORMATION PORTAL OF THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE OF THE KUJAWSKO-POMORSKIE Region IN TORUŃ

Extraordinary women, two residents of the region, were honoured with the Marshal’s Unitas Durat Palatinatus Cuiaviano Pomeraniensis medal. Genowefa Cygańska from Konecko (Aleksandrów County) and Maria Grajkowska from Gąsawa (in Żnin County) prove that love of the land, work and enjoyment of life are the foundations on which a community is built.

 

– We would like to thank the oldest residents of Kujawsko-Pomorskie for the experience they have passed on and their contribution to our present day,’ says Marshal Piotr Całbecki.

 

Genowefa Cygańska, née Przybysz, was born on 15 March 1919 in Gęsina (Aleksandrów County) as one of the nine children of Agnieszka and Władysław.  She was involved in agriculture all her life. Raised in a large family, she was forced to work on a German farm during the Second World War, where she took care of the house. Despite the difficult times, she retained her cheerfulness and her love of dancing, which have accompanied her throughout her life. After the war, she returned to her family home, where she and her husband ran a small farm.

 

She still enjoys doing household chores, helping with the cleaning and looking after the animals. She spends her free time solving crosswords, which is her favourite pastime. Despite her advanced age, she feels well. Mrs Genowefa recently celebrated her 106th birthday surrounded by her loved ones. During a celebratory mass, she received the Unitas Durat medal from the hands of the Vice-Marshal of the voivodship, Aneta Jędrzejewska.

 

– We met in October last year, when I presented the Marshal’s medal to 100-year-old Jan, our jubilarian’s brother-in-law. Mrs Genowefa delighted me with her cheerfulness and great shape! It was a great pleasure to meet Mr Jan and Mrs Genowefa again. May your health, joy and energy never leave you! 200 years! – said Vice-Marshal Aneta Jędrzejewska.

 

Maria Grajkowska (née Springer) was born on 12 March 1925 in Gąsawa (Żnin county). She enjoys light fiction and solving crosswords. Until a few years ago, she took up sewing and embroidery. As her daughter Teresa recalls: ‘Mum had a lot of responsibilities, but she was always keen for us to learn well. She tried very hard to make sure we didn’t lack anything. She was an excellent sewist, and thanks to her sewing skills we were always nicely dressed, just like her granddaughters.

 

As a child, she enjoyed spending time with her brothers and cousins, and they would often ‘mischief’ together, while the older sisters took care of the house and tidiness. During the Second World War, Maria worked as a forced labourer in Budzisław (Żnin county), near Gąsawa. She was in charge of cleaning the house of the local Germans; in the summer she additionally herded geese. She does not recall this period as being particularly difficult – she sums it up with the words – ‘there was plenty to eat’.

 

In 1948, she married Stanisław Grajkowski. Her husband worked in the drainage works in Bydgoszcz. Maria also linked her professional path to this industry, taking a job in Żnin. Over time, however, she devoted herself to her greatest passion – tailoring, which became not only a way to earn a living, but also a source of satisfaction.

 

Maria and Stanisław had two daughters, four grandchildren (one grandson and three granddaughters) and two great-grandchildren. To this day, the granddaughters still enjoy visiting their grandmother, nurturing the family bond. Although age brings less and less strength, Mrs Maria still remains active and curious about the world, finding joy in books and puzzles. The dignified jubilarian was met by the president of the regional parliament, Elżbieta Piniewska, and a member of the regional board, Dariusz Kurzawa.

 

The regional government has been honouring centenarians in the region since 2018, with over four hundred and fifty people having received the Unitas Durat medal to date. Families of the region’s residents who are about to turn one hundred years old, as well as those who are older, are encouraged to contact us at 56 62 18 344 and at the following email address: stulatkowie@kujawsko-pomorskie.pl.

 

Beata Krzemińska

Spokesperson of the Marshal’s Office

 

18 March 2025.