Jan Żabiński

Who was Jan Żabiński?

Jan Żabiński was a Polish zoologist and zootechnician, recognized by the State of Israel to be one of the Righteous Among the Nations. He was director of the Warsaw Zoo before the outbreak of World War II and additionally superintendent of the city's public parks during the Nazi occupation. He and his wife Antonina and their son Ryszard used their personal villa and the zoo itself to shelter hundreds of displaced Jews. Additionally he fought during the Warsaw Uprising, was subsequently injured and became a prisoner of war. Żabiński also authored approximately 60 popular science books.