Gawłowska, who celebrated her 111th birthday in June, was the 17th person in Poland's history to reach such a remarkable age, news outlets reported.
During her lifetime, she contributed to international research on longevity, allowing scientists from the United States to collect blood samples from her for studies on supercentenarians.
She held the title of Doyenne of Poland, the oldest documented living person in Poland, according to the Gerontology Research Group (GRG).
This American research organization, based in Los Angeles, has been gathering data on supercentenarians since 1990 to better understand the factors contributing to exceptional longevity.
In mid-May 2024, Gawłowska was visited by an international research delegation, including Dr. Aubrey de Grey, a leading biomedical gerontologist from the University of Cambridge, and Natalie Coles, the wife of Dr. L. Stephen Coles, a biogerontologist and GRG founder.
The researchers successfully collected blood samples from Gawłowska for genetic studies being conducted in the United States. These studies aim to advance knowledge about longevity and identify factors influencing human lifespan.
Witness to a century of change
She lived in the village of Czerwonka-Leszczyny near the town of Rybnik in Poland's southern Upper Silesia region, and "witnessed the world change before her eyes" during her more than century-long life, as one local official observed.
Born on June 6, 1913, in the town of Cieszyn, then part of Austro-Hungary, she experienced many historical events. She was five years old when Poland regained independence and became a sovereign state. She lived through two world wars and the communist era in Poland.
She was a mother of two, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Always active and caring, Gawłowska had a passion for solving crossword puzzles, as shared by her daughter Urszula, who cared for her until the end.
The oldest Pole passed away peacefully last Friday, July 19, public broadcaster Polish Radio's IAR news agency reported.
The title of the oldest person in Poland now belongs to Helena Michalik from Kazimierza Wielka in the south-central Świętokrzyskie province.
Michalik was born on May 22, 1914 and is currently 110 years old.
(mp/gs)
Source: czerwionka-leszczyny.pl/grg-supercentenarians.org/x.com
