Blessed Emil Szramek
Also known as
- Emilio
- 13 January
- 12 June as one of the 108 Martyrs of World War II
Profile
Priest in the archdiocese of Katowice, Poland, simultaneously serving as pastor of the parish of Saint Mary in Katowice, and chancellor of the diocesan curia. Along with being a strong spiritual leader, Father Emil was an historian, specializing in his native Silesia. He wrote on a number of topics including history, social issues, ethnography, theology and literature.
On 8 April 1940 he was arrested by the occupying Nazis and over the course of several months he was imprisoned, harassed and tortured in concentration camps in Gusen, Mauthausen and Dachau. He was a particular target for the guards as he never broke, and spent his time ministering to other prisoners. Martyr.
Born
- 29 September 1887 in Tworków, Slaskie, Poland
- 13 January 1942 in the bath house of the prison camp of Dachau, Oberbayern, Germany by having a series of ice-cold streams of water dumped on him till he died of shock and exposure
- 26 March 1999 by Pope John Paul II (decree of martyrdom)
MLA Citation
- “Blessed Emil Szramek“. CatholicSaints.Info. 19 September 2021. Web. 29 April 2024. <>