Jozef Domanski was only 14 when Nazi forces ripped him away from his family in Poland in 1941. Like thousands of other Polish children, he was deported to Germany and forced into labour. Though he survived the war and was freed in 1945, he never reunited with his family.
Now, after a ten-year investigation, the details of the new life he quietly built in the West Midlands have come to light. More than 70 years after his abduction, Jozef’s surviving relatives in Poland have finally inherited his £100,000 estate, thanks to a complex international heir-hunting operation involving the UK, Germany, and Poland.
Krzysztof Sadowski, Jozef’s nephew and family spokesperson, worked closely with probate researchers and solicitors to reconnect the family with his uncle’s estate. He reflected on the lasting trauma caused by the wartime separation.
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“Thinking about him, it’s incredible how he managed to survive in two foreign countries after the war,” Krzysztof said. “Being taken from home as a child and then trying to live a normal life—it must have been terrifying.”
From the mid-1970s, Jozef regularly corresponded with his sister Helena, often expressing melancholy about his homeland and the distance from his family. Unable or unwilling to return to a Poland devastated by war, he eventually settled in Kidderminster and worked in Wolverhampton before moving to Essex.
Despite living quietly and working in a factory, Jozef maintained a strong emotional bond with his family. He deliberately chose to remain unmarried and childless, living alone.
When communications suddenly ceased, family members tried to locate him. “My aunt even visited his last known address in the UK but found no trace,” Krzysztof recalled. “After that, hope faded.”
For decades, the family feared he had disappeared forever. Krzysztof himself attempted to trace him through the Red Cross in the 1970s, but the technology was limited.
The discovery of his death many years later was heartbreaking. “The letters stopped so suddenly—it was a painful loss knowing we would never see him again,” Krzysztof said.
The breakthrough came when a local authority asked Finders International, the UK’s largest probate research firm, to locate Jozef’s next of kin. Over ten years, genealogists and legal experts across three countries collaborated to reunite his estate with his family.
Simonne Llewellyn, CEO of Finders International, commented on the case’s complexity. “This was a deeply moving investigation requiring cross-border cooperation,” she said. “Our teams in the UK, Germany, and Poland worked tirelessly to reconnect Jozef’s legacy with his relatives.”
Chief probate researcher Benjamin Ratz of GEN SPZOO led the painstaking research, working closely with Helena Sadowski before she passed away.
Krzysztof expressed gratitude for the efforts that overcame numerous legal and emotional hurdles. “Without this international teamwork, it wouldn’t have been possible.”
The £100,000 inheritance will be shared among Jozef’s surviving relatives—though its value goes far beyond money. Krzysztof plans to dedicate part of the sum to honour their lost grandparents with a memorial featuring Jozef’s photo and details.
He hopes their story inspires others torn apart by war and tragedy to keep searching. “Don’t give up looking for your family,” he urged. “Today’s technology offers opportunities that were unimaginable before.”
After a lifetime marked by loss, displacement, and silence, Jozef Domanski’s story has come full circle. It is a powerful reminder that families separated by war can still be reunited even decades later.
Antoine Djikpa, Chairman of the International Association of Professional Probate Researchers, highlighted the broader significance: “This story shows how the trauma of war reverberates across generations. Restoring Jozef’s name and family ties offers meaningful justice—a testament that accountability matters, no matter how much time has passed.”