Born into a Polish-Jewish family in Warsaw, Różański became very active in the Communist Party of Poland before World War II.

[1] He joined the NKVD following the Soviet invasion of Poland[2] and after the war, adopting the name Różański, served as an agent with the Polish Communist Security apparatus (Urząd Bezpieczeństwa).

[3] Różański was personally involved in torturing dozens of opponents of the Polish People's Republic (PRL), including anti-communists and "Cursed soldiers".

[5][6] Różański personally administered torture to Witold Pilecki, one of the most famous "Cursed soldiers" and the only individual who willingly went to Auschwitz Camp.

[7][8] Józef Różański was arrested in 1953 – at the end of the Stalinist period in Poland – and charged with torturing innocent prisoners, including Polish United Workers' Party members.