World War II Woman

The Zookeeper’s Wife

My book group has just read The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story, by Diane Ackerman. It is a fantastic story of a husband and wife, Jan and Antonina Zabinski, who ran a large zoo in Warsaw, Poland before World War II, before the Jewish community was threatened by Nazi racism. The book, based on Antonina’s diary, shows a tremendous understanding of both the animal and human world.

The Christian Zabinskis, risk their lives and the life of their young son in their efforts to save many of their Jewish neighbors, and even people they don’t know. As it turns out, the zoo, empty of almost all animals because of the Nazi occupation, made an ideal hiding place for these people trying to flee. The animal cages, and their various habitats became home to living humans, right in front of the eyes of the enemy. Underground tunnels were also very helpful.

In most cases, the zoo was a way station for escapees on their way to freedom, something like our own Underground Railroad during the Civil War period. But there were moments of fear – fear that someone would accidentally reveal their secret, fear that a Nazi guard would spot one of their famous guests, and fear for their young son, who had to be protected from the chance remark he might make. But he remained alert, surviving a most unusual childhood.

The absolute cruelty of the Nazi regime in its attempt to create a completely Aryan nation, even to controlling the animal world, stands in stark contrast to the kindness and bravery of many Polish people who risked much to go up against this threat to the world.

Some of you may wish to read another Poland story - the entry about Helen Stawicki Schneider in the March 24 and 25 entries on this blog. A more complete story appears in my book, We Knew We Were at War: Women Remember World War II. 

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