- Kazimierz Piechowski

Escaping Auschwitz-

Kazimierz Piechowski

By Noriza Rahman

Who was Kazimierz Piechowski?

• Kazimierz Piechowski was born on October 3rd 1919 in Poland and passed away on December 15th 2017 at the age of 98.

• He was married to Iga Piechowska.

• He was a polish engineer.

• He was also a member of the Polish boy scouts at the time of the Second polish republic.

What did Kazimierz Piechowski do?

• Kazimierz Piechowski was one of the first prisoners of the notorious concentration camp, Auschwitz.
• He led a daring escape from the concentration camp.
• Kazimierz, along with 3 other prisoners had planned to steal a commandment’s car and impersonate an SS officer.
• If it hadn’t gone according to plan, they would’ve shot themselves.
• When no one was around, they grabbed 4 SS officer uniforms and guns, as well as 8 hand grenades from a warehouse they snuck into.
• They picked the fastest car they could see, a 55 bhp Steyr 220 limousine. It was the car of Rudolph Höss, the commandant of Auschwitz.
• They drove towards the gate and did the Hitler salute to the SS officers that were there.
• They expected the gate to stay open, but it wasn’t. The 3 men were terrified.
• Kazimierz yelled at the SS officers on duty as he was the only one who knew how to speak German, “Wake up, you buggers! Open up or I'll open you up!”.
• Soon after Kazimierz yelled, the gates opened and they drove off into a forest.
• After driving approximately 37 miles away from Auschwitz, they parted ways.

Video of Kazimierz Piechowski

Rudolph Höss' Car

What is Auschwitz?

What is the duty framework?

• The duty framework is when you are obligated to do something in any situation.

• The main objective of this framework is to do the right thing, no matter the consequences one might face.

How does the duty framework apply to what Kazimierz Piechowski did?

The duty framework applies to Kazimierz’s actions as he felt like he had to escape Auschwitz, even if there was a huge possibility where he would have to take his own life. He believed that it was the best/right thing to do in his given situation so he decided to follow-through with his plan.

What is the Milgram Experiment?

What would Kazimierz Piechowski do if he participated in the Milgram experiment?

If Kazimierz had to undergo the Milgram experiment, I believe that he would stop electrocuting the test subject even if he is pressured to do so. He would stop no matter what consequences he might have to face after(relation to duty framework) as his previous actions have reflected this sort of behavior as well(helping himself and the 3 men free from Auschwitz even though he knew his life would be at risk).

Citations-

Doesburg, Erik. “Drive It Like You Stole It: Escaping Auschwitz In A Stolen Car.” DriveTribe, DriveTribe, 15 Jan. 2019 Khaleeli, Homa. “I Escaped from Auschwitz.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 11 Apr. 2011 Jta, et al. “Kazimierz Piechowski, Leader of Daring Auschwitz Escape, Dies at 98.” The Times of Israel, 19 Dec. 2017 Smith, Harrison. “Kazimierz Piechowski, Early Auschwitz Prisoner Who Led a Risky Escape by Car, Dies at 98.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 18 Dec. 2017 Links to images- https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2017/12/19/kazimierz-piechowski-pole-escaped-auschwitz-obituary/ https://factrepublic.com/facts/17642/ https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-early-auschwitz-escapee-obituary-20171217-story.html https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Kazimierz_Piechowski https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazimierz_Piechowski

Thank you for watching!