Jozef Domanski, at the young age of 14, was taken by the Nazis and compelled to work in Germany in 1941. When the war ended, he resettled in the UK, residing first in Wolverhampton and later in Essex. Despite maintaining contact with his family in Poland through letters, the communication dwindled after a workplace injury in 1976, with the last correspondence occurring in the early 2000s.
Tragically, Jozef passed away in 2012 at the age of 86, unmarried and childless. Approximately 85 years after his capture, his family has now inherited his £100,000 estate as a result of a lengthy international legal investigation involving the UK, Germany, and Poland.
Krzysztof Sadowski, Jozef’s nephew and family representative, collaborated with probate researchers and solicitors to trace the next of kin. Krzysztof shared that his mother, Helena, received frequent letters from Jozef in the mid-1970s, where he expressed his longing for Poland and his family.
The search for Jozef’s relatives spanned over a decade, requiring cooperation between experts from the UK, Germany, and Poland. Simonne Llewellyn, the CEO of Finders International, commended the collaborative efforts that led to reconnecting Jozef’s family.
The investigation, spearheaded by Benjamin Ratz of GEN SPZOO, involved meticulous genealogical work and close collaboration with Jozef’s sister before her passing. The inheritance will be divided among surviving family members, with Krzysztof planning to honor his grandparents’ memory by dedicating part of the funds to them.
Antoine Djikpa, Chairman of IAPPR, reflected on the lasting impact of war trauma on families across generations, emphasizing the significance of restoring Jozef’s name, history, and family connections as a form of justice and accountability, even many years later.
