Every year on August 14, we commemorate the memory of Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe – a priest, a Franciscan, a man of unwavering faith, deep Marian devotion, and remarkable courage. When he stepped out of line in Auschwitz and offered his life for another prisoner, his name was forever inscribed in history as a synonym for love that gives to the utmost. The film “Two Crowns” by director Michał Kondrat attempts to tell the whole story that led to this extraordinary act.
YOU CAN WATCH THE FILM HERE
A saint whose name is known by almost everyone here. A story that etches itself into the heart. But how deeply do we actually know him? Do we know, who Maximilian Kolbe really was?
Even as a boy named Raymund, he experienced a profound spiritual event: during prayer, the Virgin Mary appeared to him and offered him two crowns – the white one for purity and the red one for martyrdom. He chose both. He entered the Franciscan order, studied in Rome, was ordained a priest, and soon understood that his mission was to evangelize the world through modern media.
The film brings a wealth of fascinating information that even admirers of this saint often did not know. For instance, that Kolbe had a deep interest in science and technology – to this day, his sketches of spacecraft, designs for ion propulsion, and reflections on space medicine have been preserved. This also shows his ability to combine faith and reason, spirituality with technology.
Kolbe never concealed his Marian devotion. It was precisely this that was the direction and motivation of his spiritual life. He founded the movement Knight of the Immaculate, published a magazine of the same name (which in Poland reached a circulation of up to 1 million copies monthly around 1938-1939) and spread medals of the Virgin Mary – the so-called Miraculous Medals. In the Polish Niepokalanów, he built a monastic community of 750 brothers, who lived not only in prayer but also in apostolic work. Kolbe’s life shows that holiness is not an escape from the world, but conversely – a step towards the world and a shared journey to God.
As a missionary, he also worked in Japan, where he founded a monastery in Nagasaki – at a place that would later miraculously survive a nuclear explosion. There, too, he spread the gospel through the media, always with humility and an open heart.
When the Germans occupied Poland, Kolbe stayed. He helped the needy, hid the persecuted. And with his life, he could not be forgotten by a selfish world. In 1941, he was deported to Auschwitz and assigned the number 16670. There, he became a light in the darkness – comforting fellow prisoners, praying with them, sharing food.
When one of the prisoners escaped and the Germans decided to execute ten others as punishment, Maximilian Kolbe stepped forward. He offered his life for the father of several children – Francis Gajowniczek. His request was granted. He spent the rest of his days in a cell, sentenced to starvation. This cell he transformed into a "chapel" from which prayers and songs of religious hymns could be heard. He died as a priest who lived for others until the very end.
Was his death in vain? Not only does the film clearly answer: it was not. His death was a break from the logic of this world. His act became a living expression of Christ's words:
“Whoever seeks to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses it will preserve it.” (Lk 17:33)
“Whoever loses their life for my sake and for the gospel will save it.” (Mk 8:35)
The film “Two Crowns” I recommend to everyone who seeks inspiration for Christian life, who longs for an example of holiness in the modern world, and who want to believe again that love stronger than death really exists. The film helps us understand that holiness is not reserved for “someone else,” but that we are called to it as well – in our everyday choices, small and big sacrifices, in serving others.
You can watch the film Two Crowns on the Christian streaming platform Filmana:
https://filmana.cz/cs/film/90-dve-koruny and in applications for iOS and Android.
Bc. Marek Poštulka, Filmana