Maximilian Kolbe

Polish Conventual Franciscan friar, martyr and saint of the Roman Catholic Church (1894–1941)

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Lived 1894–1941, aged 47

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Wikipedia
54 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1894–1941
Aged 47
Awards
5
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

A Polish friar walked into the starvation bunker at Auschwitz and traded his life for a stranger's. That act in August 1941 turned Maximilian Kolbe into the patron saint of a century defined by camps and cruelty.

Biography

About

Raymund Kolbe was born in Poland on 8 January 1894 and became a Conventual Franciscan friar and priest, taking the name Maximilian Maria. He spent years promoting devotion to the Virgin Mary, founded the monastery of Niepokalanów near Warsaw, ran an amateur-radio station with the call sign SP3RN, and oversaw several publications and organizations. When the Germans occupied Poland during World War II, he ended up in Auschwitz. There, he volunteered to die in place of Franciszek Gajowniczek, a man selected for execution. Kolbe was sent to the starvation bunker and died on 14 August 1941. Pope Jo…

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