Daniel Drewko (1925-2014) was born on 27 December 1925 in Nienowice in the Jarosław district to Roman and Katarzyna. In 1931, he started primary school in his home village. In 1939, he was due to start attending secondary school in Przemyśl, but due to the hostilities and the division of the town between the USSR and Germany, he remained at home on the farm. From 1942, he was involved with the Ukrainian national movement. In 1947, he was captured and placed in the Central Labour Camp in Jaworzno, where he stayed for 6 months, i.e. until 30 December 1947. After his release from the camp, he joined his family, who in the meantime had been displaced to the village of Swędkowo (now in the Elbląg district). For many years to come, the security apparatus of the Polish People’s Republic carried out operational activities, of which Daniel Drewko was the figurehead (person under investigation).

After his release from the camp, he completed a tailoring course, first as a journeyman and then as a master. In 1959, he wrote his matriculation exam, which enabled him to enrol at the Teacher Training College in Szczecin in 1960. As he recalled, in order to survive in Szczecin, he had to find extra employment at the Szczecin shipyard: "After returning from the night shift, it was hard to get rid of the unpleasant smell, which caused a lot of inconvenience, and in lessons we were haunted by drowsiness, which was hard to overcome. It was a waste of time, because it was almost impossible to remember anything from the classes."

After graduating from the Teacher Training College, Daniel Drewko worked at the primary school in Żugienie. In 1965, he moved to Biały Bór, where he took over as head of the local Taras Shevchenko Primary School. Thanks to his activity and efforts, the school increased the number of pupils. Student art groups were also started. In 1982, Daniel Drewko retired.

In addition to his work in education, Daniel Drewko was an active member of the Ukrainian Social and Cultural Society. He took part in courses organised by the UTSK in Miedzeszyn. In later years, he participated in the organisation’s conventions and was also a member of the provincial authorities of the UTSK in Koszalin.

Daniel Drewko was married (wife Halina, née Juszczuk) and had six children.

He died on 28 November 2014.

Jarosław Syrnyk

Sources:

Archive of the Institute of National Remembrance, Białystok branch, ref. no. IPN Bi 0089/523
Я. Стех, Пропам‘ятнакнигаукраїнськихдіячівПеремищини, Перемишль-Львів 2006.
С. Заброварний, Наземлічужосторонській. Пропам‘ятнакнигавипускниківукраїністикиВчительськоїстудіїуЩеціні (1957-1963), Варшава-Щецін 2001.