Wilm hosenfeld biography of william murphy

He is best known for rescuing Wladyslaw Szpilman, depicted in the acclaimed film, The Pianist. It is worth noting that the book includes extensive back matter that will be of interest to teachers and librarians. What did you find most compelling about the book?

The Pianist: The Extraordinary

Deborah was very moved and decided Hosenfeld was deserving of a biography. What was the reason for adapting the book for young readers? Hosenfeld never let another opinion topple his compassionate outlook on humanity. As a German officer, he witnessed firsthand the brutal actions carried out by Nazi officials during the German occupation of Poland.

Although Wilm is best known for rescuing Wladyslaw Szpilman, he helped many others. Wilm was guided by his sense of justice and protected others at great risk to himself. What do you think motivated Wilm to act on his beliefs? In his days as the village schoolteacher in Thalau, Germany, Hosenfeld employed a progressive approach to education in which he encouraged children to think for themselves and express their emotions—he cared deeply for his students.

On several occasions, Hosenfeld attended mass services with Poles, he lauded the Jewish and Polish insurgents during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the Warsaw Uprising, and he handed out leftover food to hungry families in the streets of Warsaw—all actions condemned by the Nazis. Not to mention the workers he employed at the Warsaw sports school using false papers.

Heroes are not relegated to comic books or movies—heroes are often everyday people who do extraordinary things. Wilm Hosenfeld was such a person.