*"Roots and Branches"**---

## **I. Franciszek (1875–1920) – Foundation**

Franciszek was born in the partitioned Poland, in a wooden cottage where the winter wind blew through the cracks, and the children quickly learned to work. His father died early, and his mother was strict and religious. Franciszek, responsible from childhood, was raised with the sense that life was a duty.

He married Marianna, a hardworking and quiet woman. They had three children: Stanisław, Anna, and Józef. Franciszek died in 1920 in the flu epidemic after World War I. The house and land were left to Marianna and the children.

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## **II. Marianna (1880–1950) – Lone Ranger**

Marianna raised her children alone, teaching them work and perseverance, not tenderness. Stanisław left for the city, Anna married early, and Józef remained at home. Marianna survived World War II, witnessing death, hunger, and destruction, but never gave up. She died in 1950, with the house still standing.

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## **III. Stanisław (1900–1970) – Escape and Return**

Stanisław left for the city, studied, and then worked in a factory. He married Jadwiga and had children: Jan and Helena. During World War II, he was conscripted into the army, and the family hid in the city. After the war, he returned to family life and work in the factory. He died peacefully in 1970.

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## **IV. Anna (1903–1985) – A House in the Shadow of History**

Anna remained in the countryside, married, and had four children. She lived by her mother's principles – she worked and remained silent. Her children grew up between duty and dreams of a world beyond the village. Anna died in 1985, with the house empty but full of history.

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## **V. Józef (1905–1980) – a tough guard**

Józef took over his mother's home. He married Krystyna and had three children: Maria, Marek, and Ewa. He was a strict, honest man, but emotionally unavailable. He died in 1980, leaving behind children who were grown but still dependent on tradition.

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## **VI. Jan (1925–2005) – War and Reconstruction**

Jan, Stanisław's son, grew up in the shadow of World War II. He married Maria and had three children: Alicja, Andrzej, and Magda. He was demanding, but tried not to repeat his father's mistakes. After the war, he worked in administration, raising his children in a rhythm of daily discipline. He died in 2005.

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## **VII. Helena (1930–2010) – Practical Love**

Helena, Stanisław's daughter, raised her children in a spirit of duty: four children, work, and silence. She never sought romantic happiness. Her children, including Andrzej, grew up feeling burdened. Helena died in 2010 after a long illness.

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## **VIII. Marek (1955–2020) – Ambition and Loneliness**

Marek grew up in the shadow of home and expectations. He moved to the city, pursued a career, and had children: Piotr and Aleksandra. He was demanding and reserved in his feelings, and the children often felt an emotional void. He died of a heart attack in 2020.

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## **IX. Andrzej (1960– ) – A Silent Guardian**

Andrzej remained at home. He cared for elderly relatives and the household. He never married, and his life was monotonous but full of duty. He taught the younger generation to survive, repeating the family patterns of silence and sacrifice.

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## **X. Aleksandra (1990– ) – a history discoverer**

Aleksandra, Marek's daughter, studied history and wrote family chronicles. She wanted to understand the silence of her ancestors. She decided not to repeat patterns, to live differently from previous generations.

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## **XI. Piotr (1992– ) – freedom of choice**

Piotr, Marek's son, grew up with his grandmother Helena. He learned to survive, but also explored dreams and emotions. He went abroad, studied, and then returned, aware of the burden of tradition and the history he had inherited.

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## **XII. Lilia (2025– ) – a new perspective**

Lilia, Aleksandra's daughter, is growing up in the 21st century, knowing her family's history since the late 19th century. The land and home are important to her, but not a duty. She knows the mistakes, silence, and sacrifices of her ancestors, and from them she learns how to live differently.

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## **XIII. Future Perspective (2050–2100)**

Future generations will no longer bear the burden of silence or tradition. The history of the home, the survival, and the choices of her predecessors become a lesson.

The roots remain, but the branches are free.

The saga demonstrates that **people do not repeat fates if they can understand and name them**.

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