Halina Chmielewska

Halina Chmielewska (15 July 1899 – 14 February 1982) was a Polish doctor known for her work during the Siege of Warsaw, the Warsaw Uprising, and in the Dulag 121 camp in Pruszków. Following the end of World War II, Chmielewska contributed to the establishment of health services in Szczecin as a representative of the Polish Red Cross, particularly for children.

Early life and education Chmielewska was born on 15 July 1899; while her birth certificate states she was born in "Cwiglin", it is understood that this was likely a misspelling of Ćwiklin, a village in rural Mazovia. Her parents were Ludwik Chmilewski and his wife Julia . Her father worked as an administrator for the Polish landed gentry. During World War I, the family were evacuated to Moscow. Following the October Revolution in 1917, Chmielewska returned to Poland, where she enrolled at the University of Warsaw, studying medicine between 1919 and 1924. She later underwent military training at the garrison hospital in Grudziądz.

After graduating in 1924, Chmielewska specialised in paediatrics under the supervision of Władysław Szenajch, a paediatrician and social activist who was the head of the Karol and Maria Hospital in Wola.

Marriage and work in pre-war Poland In 1927, Chmielewska married Stefan Chmielewski, who had studied philosophy and law. They had a daughter together, Maria Barbara, who was born on 20 June 1928. The family lived in an apartment at 42 ul. Długa in the Śródmieście district of Warsaw. Chmielewska worked for a health insurance fund, as well as a district paediatrician based in Warsaw's Old Town. She also underwent training in anti-gas and anti-aircraft defence for doctors at Ujazdów Hospital.

Occupation of Poland Chmielewska continued to treat patients in the Old Town of Warsaw following the occupation of Poland and became a well-known figure in the local community. During this time, she joined the Polish resistance movement, including organising a supply of medication for prisoners being held in Pawiak, including her friend and colleague Anna Czuperska, who was held in Serbia Prison, Pawiak's women's wing.

Warsaw Uprising Following the start of the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944, Chmielewska organised and ran first aid stations located on ul. Długa, including one at her home at number 42, as well as at the former Hotel Polski at number 29. At the Hotel Polski, she was supported in her work by medics from the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association, a medical student, and a nurse. Chmielewska was responsible for deciding who could be treated at the stations and who needed to be transferred to hospital, such as Dr. Broma Hospital at number 21 and the hospital within the Raczyński Palace at number 7. When shelling increased in the city, patients were transported through the basements of connected buildings on ul. Długa. Chmielewska and other medics were supported by Janusz Radziwiłł, a Polish noble, who officiated underground masses held by the Pallottines and ensured that the burial places of people killed during the uprising were marked to assist with future exhumation. On the evening of 1 September, Chmielewska was ordered to evacuate approximately 30 lightly injured soldiers through the sewers into Śródmieście by Karol Ziemski, the commander of the Old Town, contrary to orders made earlier in the day by Antoni Chruściel, the de facto commander of the Home Army.

The day after arriving at the camp, Chmielewska began working at the outpatient clinic in block 1, alongside Felicja Hałacińska, a pulmonologist from Lviv, and a German doctor named Klenner. The three doctors issued many false medical certificates which allowed prisoners to be released from the camp, including Chmielewska's daughter, who was "diagnosed" by Hałacińska as having had end-stage tuberculosis.

Chmielewska led the transfer of a former German military hospital on ul. Unii Lubelskiej, that was used by Soviet forces in the immediate aftermath of the war, to the Polish health service, which the hospital later being used by the Pomeranian Medical University after its founding in 1948. Chmielewska later described one of her proudest achievements as being the establishment of the Mother and Child Care Station on ul. Św. Wojciech. Due to increasing poor health, including osteoporosis, bronchial asthma and vision loss, Chmielewska left Szczecin.

After retiring, Chmielewska returned to Warsaw, where she lived with her daughter and granddaughter. She died on 14 February 1982, and was buried at the family plot in Powązki Cemetery.

In December 2022, a commemorative plaque was placed outside the former headquarters of the District Medical Chamber at 11 ul. Curie Skłodowska, listing the 31 doctors who served as medical officers during the Warsaw Uprising who went on to work in Szczecin, including Chmielewska.