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Antoni Dobrowolski

1904 – 2012

Polish teacher and concentration camp survivor

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About Antoni Dobrowolski

Lived 1904 – 2012 (aged 108). Antoni Dobrowolski was a Polish pedagogue.

Antoni Dobrowolski (8 October 1904 – 21 October 2012) was a Polish educator, teacher and Holocaust survivor. At the time of his death in 2012, Dobrowolski was the oldest known survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Dobrowolski was born in Wolbórz, present-day Poland, on 8 October 1904.

Nazi German authorities limited the education of ethnic Polish children to only four years during the occupation of Poland in order to undermine Polish culture. Despite the ban, Dobrowolski joined the Secret Teaching Organization to provide underground education in occupied Poland, according to Auschwitz historian Adam Cyra. Dobrowolski was discovered and arrested in June 1942 by the Gestapo. He was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he was assigned the prisoner number 38081. Dobrowolski later recalled that "Auschwitz was worse than Dante's hell." He was transferred to the Gross-Rosen concentration camp and Sachsenhausen concentration camp, remaining a prisoner until his release in 1945.

He moved to Dębno, Poland, following the end of World War II following his liberation. He worked as an elementary school teacher, before becoming the director of a high school.

Dorbrowolski died on 21 October 2012, in Dębno, Poland, at the age of 108. He was the oldest known survivor of Auschwitz at the time.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Awards
Auschwitz Cross; Odznaka tytułu honorowego „Zasłużony Nauczyciel PRL”; Silver Cross of Merit; Pomeranian Griffin - badge of honor; Commander of the Order of Polonia Restituta; Knight of the Order of Polonia Restituta

People in Antoni Dobrowolski's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Antoni Dobrowolski's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Antoni Dobrowolski?

Polish teacher and concentration camp survivor (1904–2012)

When was Antoni Dobrowolski born?

Antoni Dobrowolski was born on 8 October 1904 in Wolbórz.

When did Antoni Dobrowolski die?

Antoni Dobrowolski died on 21 October 2012 in Dębno.

What was Antoni Dobrowolski's occupation?

Antoni Dobrowolski was a pedagogue.

What nationality was Antoni Dobrowolski?

Antoni Dobrowolski was Polish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Antoni Dobrowolski

· Wikidata: Q597254

· DBpedia: Antoni Dobrowolski

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Antoni Dobrowolski. https://biography.guide/antoni-dobrowolski/

MLA: "Antoni Dobrowolski." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/antoni-dobrowolski/.

Chicago: "Antoni Dobrowolski." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/antoni-dobrowolski/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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