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27.04.2017

Further victims of totalitarianism regain their names

   
   
   

The families of 12 victims of communist totalitarianism were presented with identification notes at the Presidential Palace on 21 April 2017

 

 

Figure 1  THE SOLDIERS IDENTIFIED SO FAR

 

 

Thanks to the work of the IPN, 12 people murdered by the communists have regained their names, military ranks and  biographies. Some of them were killed in the Rakowiecka prison in Warsaw, the remains of others - tracked down by the Secret Political Police (UB) and convicted by makeshift military courts - were located in Kielce, Lublin or Białystok.

On 21 April, at the Presidential Palace, in the presence of President Andrzej Duda, the families of the victims received the identification notes of their relatives.

 

Stanisław Bizior – alias „Śmigło”, „Eam”, second lieutenant of the reserve, soldier of the Union of Armed Struggle –Home Army and the Freedom and Independence Association

Stefan Długołęcki, lieutenant colonel of the Polish Army

Czesław Duma – alias „Nieznany”, soldier of the National Military Union

Czesław Gałązka –alias „Mróz”, „Bystry”, soldier of the Home Army,  second lieutenant of the National Armed Forces

Czesław Guzieniuk – alias „Gałąź”, soldier of the Freedom and Independence Association

Konstanty Kuźmicki – sentenced to death on 25 September 1946 by the Military District Court in Bialystok

Ludwik Machalski – alias „Mnich”, leader of an independence organisation operating in the area of the Sandomerz district

Lucjan Minkiewicz – alias „Wiktor”, second  lieutenant  of the Union of Armed Struggle – Home Army

Stefan Nowaczek – alias „Wilk”, Home Army and  National Armed Forces soldier , second lieutenant of the National Military Union

Marian Pilarski – alias „Grom”, „Bończa”, „Jar”, „Olgierd”, major, regular soldier of the Polish Army, officer of the Union of Armed Struggle – Home Army and Freedom and Independence Association

Leon Taraszkiewicz – alias „Jastrząb”, „Zawieja”, second lieutenant., soldier of the Delegation of the Armed Forces – Freedom and Independence Association

Piotr Tomaszycki – alias „Gałązka”, soldier of  Freedom and Independence Association

 

“Poland has a chance to restore its dignity by paying tribute to the heroes fighting for a free country who were brutally murdered 70 years ago”, said President Andrzej Duda at the ceremony of presenting family members of 12 victims of totalitarian regimes identification notes at the Presidential Palace.

As the Head of State emphasised, the celebration was "the beginning of the commemoration process, portraying the dignity which the identified heroes displayed. This is an element of state responsibility, so important to the Republic of Poland. "

"I always ask myself who will defend Poland, who will fight for it if we do not remember those who did so in the past, if we do not honor them appropriately, unless we show their dignity, who will want to defend Poland in the future? "asked the President.

"In a sense, it can be said that it is not a day of mourning, only a day - maybe not joyful, but in some way, for me as President, it is a day of fulfillment, the fulfillment of an obligation by the Polish state," he highlighted.

"Today, young people are also leading our heroes to their resting places, and that is a symbol of the Republic of Poland, which I firmly believe in," he added. The President also thanked all those who helped to find and identify those murdered by the communists, including IPN researchers.

Finally without the "dirt of cruel words"

Dr Jarosław Szarek, President of the IPN, thanked, among others, the volunteers who "working on their knees, uncovering the remains of the murdered are the first to pay homage to them". For years, these remains have been covered not only with the dirt of the earth, but with the dirt of cruel words," he said. The President of the IPN recalled the "unique evil" – the way in which the Soviet and other communist services had desecrated their victims.

"What was the disease in question?" Dr Szarek spoke of "the red plague" which affected not only the body, but also the souls of many people. We have been treating this disease for a long time. Today’s celebration is another sign of recovery. Current day Poland is defined by totally different values, those which mean ordering a truce during battles in order to bury the bodies of fellow soldiers”, he added.

Dr Szarek assured that "there is no vanity in us to create a new, wonderful world. We want to follow in the paths of our ancestors. We will search for every hero who died fighting the communist system," promised the President of the IPN.

They defended us from traitors and minions of power

Dariusz Pilarski, a representative of the families of the identified soldiers, grandson of Marian Pilarski - "Grom", soldier of the Home Army and member of the Freedom and Independence Association, thanked Poland for finally making the names of its best sons known, as well as for the fact, that they have ultimately come home. "They defended us from the traitors and minions of communist rule. Their last cry before being executed was often: "Long live Poland!" he said. They were role models for future generations.

Dariusz Pilarski also recalled that "not long ago, criminals and traitors of Poland were buried with honours." "I believe that they will have to answer for the evil they are responsible for", he added.

Dariusz Pilarski thanked President Andrzej Duda and the late President Lech Kaczyński for "not forgetting the Accursed soldiers". He expressed particular gratitude to the Deputy President of the IPN, Krzysztof Szwagrzyk and the employees of the Office of Search and Identification for the immense work they have put into finding the heroes who have remained nameless for so many years. He also spoke with recognition of the work of the IPN Branch Office in Lublin, whose researchers helped to find and identify the Accursed.

The IPN specialists are going to return to lot "Ł"

At the Presidential Palace, Prof. Krzysztof Szwagrzyk, Deputy President of the IPN presented photographs of the places where the remains of Polish national heroes were found. He thanked, among others, the 1st Sappers Regiment from Brzeg, for supporting the work of the Office of Search and Identification and stated that IPN specialists are returning to lot “Ł” of the Powązki Military Cemetery and will continue their work there during upcoming months.

After the ceremony at the Presidential Palace, families and invited guests paid homage to the victims at the Northern Cemetery in Warsaw, and also at the Pantheon of the Accursed Soldiers at the Powązki Military Cemetery.

 


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