Twins separated at birth after WWII are reunited nearly 70 years later

Two twin brothers finally found each other and shared their first hug after being separated for nearly 70 years.

George Skrzynecky and Lucian Poznanski, both 69 years old, were born in Kassel, Germany, in 1946. Their polish mother, Elizabeth, was sent to a forced labour camp during World War II, BBC reports.

After being freed from the camp, she gave birth to the twin boys, but became ill and couldn’t care for her babies.

The Polish Red Cross took the boys to Poland where they were adopted by two different families. Since their new families never talked about the adoption, both of the boys grew up without knowledge of their twin brother.

At age 17, Skrzynecky learned he had a twin brother after he found documents that revealed he was adopted. He then asked the Red Cross to help track down his brother. but they couldn’t find any trace of his twin, creating a rift in his adoptive family.

So Skrzynecky moved to California, U.S., to start a new life.

“I never knew when this would happen, but I always was thinking one day I would find my brother,” Skrzynecky told BBC.

Poznanski started his own family in Poland and for the first time last year, he found out about his twin brother.

“In my heart I always had a feeling that I did have a twin brother,” Poznanski said. “I don’t care about winning the lottery. I just want to have my brother by my side.”

He asked the Red Cross Restoring Family Links Program for help and this time they were able to re-connect the lost twin brothers.

The pair were finally reunited at the airport in Warsaw, Poland and the emotional moment was captured by BBC.

The two brothers went to Warsaw’s Uprising Museum the very next day, where they learned more about their birth through documents found by the Red Cross.

Their father was an American solider who returned to the U.S. before they were born and their mother was looking for her two sons after they were born. But she was told she couldn’t have them back after they were adopted.

“When I finally learned the whole truth, I cried for my mother,” Poznanski said. “I’m crying for my brother but I’m happy we are together.”