Jan Maletka
Polish railway worker
About Jan Maletka
Lived 1921 – 1942 (aged 20–21).
Jan Maletka (1921–1942) was a Polish railway worker. On 20 August 1942 he was murdered by the Germans for providing water to Jews being transported to the Treblinka concentration camp. On 26 November 2021, as a part of the Called by Name project, a plaque commemorating him has been revealed at the Treblinka railway station, which has sparked a controversy among some Jewish activists in Poland. Polish philosopher, Jewish activist and left-wing politician Jan Hartman explained that while history of Maletka is true, according to him specifically at the Treblinka ramp local Poles were cynically selling water to Jews, while Maletka provided it for free and his heroism should be recognized but not at the ramp. The plaque commemorating Jan Maletka was placed at the place where he was killed, and during the ceremony the memory of all victims of Treblinka camps was honored.
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Important facts
People in Jan Maletka's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Jan Maletka's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Jan Maletka?
Polish railway worker (1921–1942)
When was Jan Maletka born?
Jan Maletka was born in 1921.
When did Jan Maletka die?
Jan Maletka died in 1942.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jan Maletka. https://biography.guide/jan-maletka/
MLA: "Jan Maletka." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jan-maletka/.
Chicago: "Jan Maletka." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jan-maletka/.
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