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05.09.2019

The funeral of Michał Szydłowski - Kosin, 5 September 2019

The funeral of Michał Szydłowski, a German soldier from Silesia, who was stationed with his unit in Kosin, took place at the local cemetery on 5 September 2019. Michał Szydłowski defended about 13 Poles who were to be killed. Probably due to a related dispute with a fellow soldier or possibly his commander, he was shot in 1944.

Deputy President of the Institute of National Remembrance Dr Mateusz Szpytma, the Director of the IPN Branch Office in Rzeszów Dariusz Iwaneczko, the representatives of local authorities and the inhabitants of the village all took part in Michał Szydłowski’s funeral and a mass held in the parish church in Kosin.

Michał Szydłowski’s behavior ought to be clearly defined as a moral attitude worthy of the highest praise. It is our duty to remember that no one is free of the responsibility for crimes committed regardless of the military formation they represent. What Michał Szydłowski did, however, shows that it was possible to display true heroism even while serving in the German army.

If this be the will of the local community, the Institute of National Remembrance would like to erect a monument on Michał Szydłowski’s grave. It would bear the inscription "God Bless his Memory" said Dr Mateusz Szpytma.

Michał Szydłowski’s remains were found as a result of the exhumation works which were carried out in Kosin on 26 August 2019 by the IPN Branch Office for Commemorating the Struggle and Martyrdom in Rzeszów. The exhumation was conducted by archeologists from Czarnik & Czarnik. Małgorzata Czarnik.

 


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