During World War II in 1941, Jozef Domanski, then just 14 years old, was taken by the Nazis to work in Germany. After the war ended, he relocated to the UK, residing in Wolverhampton and later Essex. Despite his efforts to stay in touch via letters, he tragically lost contact with his family in Poland following an injury in 1976.
Jozef passed away in 2012 at the age of 86, without a spouse or children. Approximately 85 years after his capture, his family has inherited his £100,000 estate after a lengthy international legal investigation involving the UK, Germany, and Poland.
The search for Jozef’s next of kin was initiated by a UK local authority, leading to over a decade of legal and genealogical work spanning three countries. The complex case required collaboration between specialists in the UK, Germany, and Poland to reconnect Jozef with his relatives.
The inheritance will be distributed among surviving family members, with plans to honor Jozef’s memory by placing his photograph on his grandparents’ graves. The Chairman of the International Association of Professional Probate Researchers emphasized the importance of restoring Jozef’s name, history, and family connections as a form of justice, highlighting the enduring impact of war trauma on families across generations.