Julius Madritsch - Heroic Humanitarian
Businessman
Born: August 4, 1906, Vienna, Austria
Died: June 11, 1984, Vienna, Austria
Julius Madritsch was a brave and compassionate man who used his position and skills to protect Jewish lives during World War II.
Madritsch was an Austrian businessman who risked his life to save thousands of Jewish people during the Holocaust. While managing factories in Nazi-occupied Poland, he created safer workplaces, smuggled food to those in need, and helped Jewish workers avoid deportation. His courage and compassion stood out in one of history’s darkest times.
Madritsch arrived in Kraków, Poland, in his early 30s as a textile expert. The Nazis gave him permission to run two factories that had been taken from their original owners. Instead of simply following the rules, Madritsch used the factories to protect Jewish workers. He hired men and women, even if they had no sewing experience, gave them extra food, and offered safer working conditions than most other Nazi workplaces.
To manage the factories, Madritsch recruited Raimund Titsch, a fellow Austrian. Titsch oversaw the workers and made sure they were treated humanely. Together, they opened another factory in nearby Tarnów, creating another safe place for Jews from the ghetto. Madritsch even used a factory vehicle to secretly deliver food into the ghetto, helping people survive under harsh conditions.
In 1942, the Nazis closed the Kraków Ghetto to prevent Jews from leaving for work. Madritsch responded by building a factory inside the ghetto. This allowed him to continue employing Jewish workers and protecting them from deportation. He also worked with Oswald Bosko, a German policeman. Bosko ignored the rules, allowing some Jews to escape or find hiding places. For his bravery, Bosko was executed by the Nazis in 1944.
Madritsch’s efforts did not stop there. During the liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto, he arranged for about 100 of his Jewish workers to be sent to Oskar Schindler’s factory, keeping them safe from Auschwitz. At the Plaszow labor camp, Madritsch established a sewing workshop for roughly 2,000 Jewish prisoners. The camp had harsh conditions, but Madritsch provided better food, safer work, and fair treatment. Prisoners considered his factories a place of hope and safety amid the terror surrounding them.
Despite the extreme risk, Madritsch negotiated with Nazi authorities to keep his factories open and protect his workers. He even maintained a working relationship with the brutal Plaszow commandant, which allowed him to continue saving lives. His actions went against Nazi ideology, making him an outcast among Germans who followed the regime without question.
By the fall of 1944, as the Red Army approached and Nazis began evacuating prisoners westward, Madritsch helped hundreds more Jews by transferring them to safer locations, including Schindler’s factory. Throughout the war, he consistently used his resources, connections, and knowledge to protect Jewish workers from persecution, hunger, and deportation.
Madritsch’s bravery was officially recognized in 1964 when Yad Vashem honored him as Righteous Among the Nations. This title is given to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. In 1983, Madritsch gave a German-language interview, sharing his experiences and explaining how he took great personal risks to help others. Today, he is remembered as a courageous and compassionate man who used his position and talents to protect thousands of people during one of history’s darkest periods.
Julius Madritsch’s story shows how one person’s courage, intelligence, and compassion can save lives, even in the face of incredible danger. He used his skills as a businessman not for profit alone, but to create hope and safety for people who would have otherwise faced almost certain death. Through his actions, Madritsch left a legacy of bravery, kindness, and moral strength that continues to inspire people today.
SOURCES:
“The Complexity of Rescue.” Don’t Be a Bystander, dontbeabystander.org/resources/the-complexity-of-rescue/.
“Oral History Interview with Julius Madritsch.” USHMM Collections, collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn510765.
Sewing and Safety in the Krakow Ghetto, www.ifcj.org/news/stand-for-israel-blog/sewing-and-safety-in-the-krakow-ghetto.
Keywords: Justice, Wartime, Courage, Generosity, Responsibility, Repair the World – Tikkun Olam, Take Risks for Others, Make a Difference