Maria Szwarc

This is the last picture of my mother, Maria Szwarc, nee Biber. It was taken in the 1970s in Warsaw. I do not remember who took this picture.

After our return from the camp my mother did not work. She had a job from 1954 to 1957 at ‘Ksiazka i Wiedza’ [‘Book and Knowledge’ publishing house] as a proofreader.

After the political changes of 1956 they reduced the staff. My mother could have tried to struggle against this, she was close to retirement age, but we didn’t want it to seem like we cared so much about her getting her pension. She just stopped working and began taking care of the house.

In 1959 I gave birth to my son, Piotr Tomasz. When the child was born, my mother started taking care of him. She did absolutely everything about the house.

She wouldn't let me touch the kitchen: she thought that since I am working and my husband is working, it is her duty to do all the domestic chores. I appreciated this very much.

My mother died in 1978. Till the very end she was incredibly fit and active. She is buried in Warsaw in the Northern Cemetery.

This is also where my husband’s grave is, and those of my mother’s cousins.