Maxmi Kolbe Thesis

The Holocaust was a catastrophic event that altered history. Approximately 6 million people were persecuted for being Jews, gypsies, or having disabilities. They became prisoners to the concentration camps where many were gassed, shot, burned, or starved to death. Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan friar, was one of the millions of victims.

On January 8 of 1894, Maximilian was born in Zdunska Wola, the Kingdom of Poland, but later moved to Pabianice with his family. Raymund Kolbe was his original name given by his parents, Julius Kolbe and Maria Dabrowska. During his early childhood, he was greatly influenced to have a strong passion for religion. He had a vision about the Virgin Mary answering him what will happen to him after getting scolded by his mother. He recalls the vision “That night I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked me if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both”. This vision foreshadows what will become of his legacy.

Raymond and his older brother decided to enter the Conventual Franciscan Seminary due to his
Everything was going well until the Nazis came to Poland in 1939. Maximilian and many other friars were arrested. The Nazis shut down their printing press which Kolbe helped distribute pamphlets and other types of reading. After he was released from prison he returned to Niepokalanów which during that time became a safe place for families and Jews. For the second time Maximilian was arrested by the Gestapo for suspicion of hiding Jews. Once admitted to the Auschwitz concentration camp his goal was to show other prisoners that in hard times they should not give up