This Woman's Bravery In World War II Wasn't Known For Almost 50 Years

This Woman's Bravery In World War II Wasn't Known For Almost 50 Years

By Alexandra Miller

By Alexandra Miller
May 18, 2018

May 18, 2018

Anna Stupnicka-Bando risked her life as a teen to save another girl during World War II. Her heroism wasn't learned until nearly half a century later.

SHOW TRANSCRIPT

The punishment for helping a Jew during World War II was not only death for the person helping but also death for that person's entire family. Yet Janina Stupnicka and her daughter Anna decided the risk was worth it. They saved countless Jewish people through forged documents and hid a teenage girl in their home during the war.

TRENDING IN World NEWS

Chinese President Xi Jinping

China's President Issues Blanket Threat Amid More Hong Kong Protests

Typhoon Hagibis

Millions Evacuate As Typhoon Strikes Japan, Causing Injury and Death

President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He

U.S. And China Agree On The Outlines Of A Partial Trade Deal

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed

Office of the Ethiopian Prime Minister

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Shinsuke Sugiyama and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer

U.S.-Japan Deal Sets New Bilateral Standards For Digital Trade

U.S. Sending Additional Troops To Saudi Arabia

A fizzy soda is poured into a cup

Singapore Won't Allow Ads For High-Sugar Drinks

Thierry Bollore

Renault Fires Its CEO In Abrupt Leadership Change

Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar

U.K. And Ireland 'See A Pathway' To A Possible Brexit Deal

Smoke rises over a town on the Syria-Turkey border.

Turkey's Plan For A Syrian 'Safe Zone' Might Create More Refugees

A Kurdish refugee mother and son in a camp in southeastern Turkey

Who Are The Kurdish People?

Police in Hong Kong

Apple Pulls Police Tracking App Used By Hong Kong Protesters

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

North Korea May Reverse Steps It's Taken To 'Build Trust' With U.S.

2 Killed During Attempted Attack On German Synagogue

Helicopter for U.N. peacekeeping force lands at refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Getty Images/Uriel Sinai

Citing Cash Shortage, U.N. Says It May Not Meet Payroll By Month's End

President Donald Trump

Trump Might Pull U.S. Out Of International Surveillance Treaty

Turkish solider looks over border wall into Syria

Turkey Military Operations Underway In Northern Syria

Muslim Uighur men leave after a service at the Idkah Mosque in April, 26 2002 in Kashgar, Xinjiang Region, China

U.S. To Impose Visa Restrictions On Chinese Officials For Uighur Abuse

An ethnic Uighur woman operates fruit stand in front of billboard of late Chinese Party leader Mao Zedong.

Getty Images/Kevin Frayer

Uighurs In China Decry 'Re-Education' Camps As Religious Persecution

Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno

Ecuador's President To Move Government Seat Amid Violent Protests

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks during a press conference on October 08, 2019 in Japan.

NBA Commissioner Says League Won't Apologize For GM's Tweet

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Approves Of Second Parliamentary Suspension

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam

Carrie Lam Warns She Won't Rule Out China Intervention In Hong Kong

President Donald Trump watches as U.S. and Japanese representatives sign trade agreements.

U.S. Signs 2 New Trade Deals With Japan

Houston Rockets Face Backlash From China After GM's Hong Kong Tweet

YPG fighters in Syria

Explaining The Conflict Between Turkey, Syrian Kurds And The U.S.

President Lenin Moreno

Ecuador In State Of Emergency Over Fuel Protests

Displaced Syrians in northern Syria

U.S. To Pull Troops Out Of Syria Ahead Of Turkish Military Operations

China Withdraws From Iran's South Pars Natural Gas Project

Over 100 Killed In The Week Since Protests In Iraq Started

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump

U.S. Says Talks With N. Korea Were 'Good' — The North Says Otherwise

Silhouette of soldier in a car.

U.S. Envoy Meets With Taliban A Month After Trump Calls Talks 'Dead'

Hong Kong Rocked By Violent Protests In Response To Mask Ban

Former Rep. John Delaney and Lauren Stephenson

Newsy/Andrew Shafer

Presidential Candidate John Delaney On 2020 And U.S. Foreign Policy

Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Conservative Party Conference, where he touted his Brexit plan this week.

Getty Images/ Stefan Rousseau

Lawsuit Seeks To Fine Or Jail Johnson If He Goes It Alone On Brexit

Sarah Ewart reacts outside Belfast High Court after the landmark ruling in her favor

Northern Ireland Abortion Ban Found To Violate Human Rights Standards

A pro-democracy protester faces police at a barricade during clashes outside Hong Kong's Central Government Offices

Hong Kong's Carrie Lam Bans Protesters From Wearing Masks

Police block the bridge near Paris Police headquarters

4 Killed In Knife Attack At Paris Police Headquarters

A migrant father and his son in Matamoros, Mexico

Mai Nolasco-Carranza / Newsy

The US Is Making Migrants Wait In Dangerous Mexican Towns Without Aid

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a speech

U.K. Government To Prorogue Parliament For 6 Days

A U.K. Supreme Court judge

How Does The U.K. Supreme Court Work?

Ireland border town

UK's New Brexit Proposal Would Create Special Trade Rules For Ireland

Pro-democracy protesters gather during a rally at Central district on October 2, 2019 in Hong Kong

Teenage Protester Shot In Hong Kong Demonstrations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement to reporters in Israel

Netanyahu's Pre-Trial Corruption Hearings Starts

People in South Korea watch a news broadcast about a North Korea missile launch

North Korea Launches Missile, Possibly From A Submarine

Chinese cargo ship prepares to dock in Miami.

Getty Images/Joe Raedle

WTO Warns Of Economic Fallout From Trade Disputes As Exports Plunge

Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump

U.S.-North Korean Relations Are Still Tense Ahead Of Resumed Talks

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.

North Korea Says It's Resuming Nuclear Talks With The U.S.

Chinese soldiers in a parade to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China

The People's Republic Of China Celebrates Its 70th Birthday

Volkswagen emblem on a vehicle

Volkswagen Hit With First-Of-Its-Kind Mass Lawsuit In Germany

Control tower building at Baledogle, Somalia

Militants In Somalia Attack U.S. And Italy With Car Bombs And Guns

A man holds poster of journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Saudi Crown Prince Speaks Out On Jamal Khashoggi's Death

Chinese soldiers

China May Have Doubled Its Troop Presence In Hong Kong

Hong Kong protest

Hong Kong Protests Continue For 17th Straight Week

Afghan election workers start counting the ballots after light turnout and sporadic violence during the Presidential election

Afghanistan Voter Turnout Diminished By Threats Of Violence

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson exits 10 Downing Street

Boris Johnson Could Face Investigation For Ties To Businesswoman

Saudi royals on a billboard

Saudi Arabia Opens Its Doors To Tourists From 49 Countries

Fridays for Future protest in New Zealand

Worldwide Protests Again Call For Action To Fight Climate Change

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press conference

U.S. Says Accused Syria of Chemical Weapons Attack In May

Oil tanker in Chongqing, China.

U.S. Steps Up Sanctions On Chinese Companies Over Iran Oil Imports

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump

The White House

Whistleblower Accuses Trump Of Abusing Power For Political Gain

China To Purchase Soybeans And Pork From U.S. Amid Trade War

A Congolese child is vaccinated

World Health Organization

Over 800,000 Congolese Children To Receive Measles Vaccine

President Donald Trump

Here's Everything We Know About The Ukraine Controversy

Former French President Jacques Chirac

Former French President Jacques Chirac Has Died At 86

Central American migrants enter the U.S. through Mexico

U.S. Signs 'Safe Third Country' Agreement With Honduras

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin

Israel's President Chooses Netanyahu To Form New Government

U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzō

U.S. Reaches An Initial Trade Deal With Japan

International mail is routed through London's Heathrow Airport.

U.S. Threatens To Leave Global Postal Body Over Mail Rates For China

Venezuela opposition leader Juan Guaidó is speaking at a press conference

Trump Administration Triples Development Aid For Venezuela's Guaidó

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returns to 10 Downing Street on Sept. 25

Boris Johnson Returns To London After Court Ruling

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson

U.K. Supreme Court Awards Parliament More Time On Brexit

Family members of 28-year-old Captain Yared Getecho visit the crash site of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302

Boeing To Start Compensating Families Of Fatal 737 MAX Crashes

Google Doesn't Have To Apply 'Right To Be Forgotten' Outside Of The EU

Inside Abqaiq Oil field in Saudi Arabia, one of the two oil facilities that were attacked on Sept. 14

CNN / Nic Robertson

France, Germany And The U.K. Blame Iran For Saudi Oil Attacks

President Donald Trump

Trump Reportedly Asked Mick Mulvaney To Withhold Ukraine Aid

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson

U.K.'s Top Court Decides Parliament Suspension Was Illegal

United Nations Climate Summit 2019

World Leaders Rebuked For 'Empty Words' At U.N. Climate Summit

President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden

A Who's Who Guide To The Trump-Biden-Ukraine Scandal

Refugees and migrants on a rescue boat

Four EU Countries Agree On Deal For Relocating Migrants Rescued At Sea

Islamic Republic News Agency

British Tanker Seized By Iran Is Released After 2 Months

World Health Organization official training Ebola responders

WHO Says Tanzania May Be Hiding Possible Ebola Cases

Israel Elections: Gantz Gains Backing From Arab Parties

A person holds a vial and needle for an Ebola vaccine

World Health Organization

Global Aid Group Says It Is Facing Vaccination Roadblocks in Congo

President Donald Trump

Trump In New York As U.N. General Assembly Kicks Off Monday

Thomas Cook airplanes

Travelers Stranded After Tour Company Thomas Cook Suddenly Shuts Down

U.S. President Donald Trump escorts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Modi departs the White House June 26, 2017

U.S. And India Reportedly Trying To Work Out Trade Deal By Sept. 30

Close up of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Justin Trudeau Pledges To Ban Military-Style Assault Rifles

Trucks lined up at a shipping yard

U.S. Grants Tariff Exemptions For Hundreds Of Chinese Goods

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

U.S. Withdraws $160 Million In Funding From Afghanistan

Pigeons take flight from a decaying house

Nearly A Third Of Birds In U.S. And Canada Have Disappeared Since 1970

Climate activists march on Friday

Global Climate Strike Kicks Off In Australia, Thailand And New Zealand

President Trump

President Trump To Hear Possible Military Action Options Against Iran

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a press conference on Sep. 19, 2019.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau Apologizes For 'Racist' Dress

The EU and U.K. flags

U.K. Says It Has Sent EU Ideas For Reworking Brexit Deal

Nurse administers trial vaccine during Ebola crisis in West African country of Liberia in 2015.

Getty Images/John Moore

Report Warns Of Global Pandemic Without 'Urgent' Prevention Measures