Page 32 - LOTN Advent issue 57

FAITH AND CULTURE

many other prisoners, he had been deported to Siberia.
Many years later his son recalled in an interview: "Mum was "We should remember the Cavalry Officer Pilecki because he
deluding herself all the time - 'It doesn’t matter if there is a was one of the greatest heroes of World War II. He voluntarily
sentence, they certainly won’t carry it out. Such a conspirator, allowed himself to be imprisoned in Auschwitz in order to
soldier, patriot. He has a lot of information, they will need organize a resistance movement there and to tell the world about
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him. Maybe they will take him to the Lubyanka , maybe they Nazi crimes. His extraordinary courage and dedication to his
won’t release him from prison for the rest of his life, but they homeland and his humanitarian values are a model of patriotism

won’t kill him.' She waited for our dad for a long time , but and heroism that is inspiring for subsequent generations. In
dad was already dead”. today’s times, when such a stance is hard to find, each of us
To some extent Witold's family shared the fate of their could benefit by emulating even 5% of his resoluteness, which
ancestors. Maria, as the wife of a "traitor of society" could would make the world a better place.”
not be employed as a teacher anywhere, so she worked Marta, an artist who has been living in Aberdeen for many
as a tea maker or a cleaner and lived with her children for years
some time in a little wooden summer house. In winter, they
often collected tree cones for firewood. The Pileckis were no
longer allowed to enter Sukurčy estate, because after the "Pilecki is a great hero, a very brave man who risked his life
war that area was within the borders of the Soviet Union, to bring the truth to light, one of the true followers of the Lord
and their manor house was demolished on the orders of Jesus, ready to give his own life for others."
the authorities. Maria finally managed to get a job as a Jakub, who has been living in Scotland for over a decade
caregiver at a children’s shelter, where she worked until her
retirement. The Pilecki children also remember those times "The Cavalry Officer Pilecki is a heroic hero, a man with many
as very difficult. It wasn’t just poverty that plagued them; wonderful features that are hard to find nowadays. He showed
Zofia had to give up her studies because "the progressive bravery, courage, unconditional love for his homeland, loyalty
technical staff cannot tolerate that the daughter of a traitor and, of course, the most important feature: honour. He did not
to the Polish nation should be allowed to study". It took a hesitate to put his personal happiness, health and life at risk for
long time before she was able to find a job. In turn, Andrzej our homeland of Poland, and although he had the opportunity
failed to get into university three times, despite passing his to avoid a terrible fate, he remained the guardian of faith, God
exams exemplarily. He got into university only years later, at and Poland. He is a model of all virtues, a great Pole, a patriot,
the age of 32. a great officer and a good man."
The family learned about Pilecki’s death in 1990, after Piotr, member of the Polish community in Aberdeen
the fall of communism in Poland, during the rehabilitation
process. However, Witold Pilecki’s body has not yet been "We should remember the Cavalry Officer Witold Pilecki for
found. Throughout the entire time of the Polish People’s many reasons. What moves me most is his willingness to give his
Republic, the prevailing version was that Cyrankiewicz was life for his country. And here the question arises: Why did he do
the organizer of the conspiracy in KL Auschwitz. History was that? After all, no one forced him to enter the hell on earth that
silent about Pilecki, the true founder of the Union of Military was the German death camp, Auschwitz, and yet it happened.
Organisations. In January 2005, during the celebration of the What was the reason for this, madness? The answer should be
60th anniversary of the liberation of KL Auschwitz, President sought in the Christian religion and our flagship motto: God,
Aleksander Kwasniewski "forgot" about the cavalry officer Honour, Homeland. This is especially important for us Poles
Pilecki, but mentioned Cyrankiewicz. And yet Pilecki was a living abroad. Witold Pilecki is a hero who reminds us what one
man who demonstrated with his whole life that there are no man can achieve. Glory to the hero and may he be among the
limits to courage and sacrifice. His daughter Zofia summed saints in heaven."
up Pilecki’s attitude in a significant way: "I am convinced that Malgorzata, linguist
my father was sent by God. There is no other person who
could have done such things in such a short life. It would
have been impossible without God’s help. He had a task that
he completed one hundred percent. And he gave his last BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Cyra A., Witoldpilecki – Voluntary Prisoner And Escapee From Auschwitz,
report to the One who sent him”. Accursed Soldiers, Nr 3(7), 2017, P. 59-72.
The communists’ efforts to erase from the nation’s Kononowicz Z., Scout Witold Pilecki "Becomes familiarised with the grenade
consciousness Pilecki's actions and ideals failed. Today, for the first time”, ibid. P. 49-50.
Paterek P., Druh Witold Pilecki, ibid. P. 90-95.
Witold Pilecki is a role model for contemporary Poles, Płużański T., The Auschwitz volunteer murdered by communists, ibid. P. 74-
including those living in Aberdeen, Scotland. 87. Wąsowicz J., The Testimony of Faith of Captain Pilecki, ibid. P. 38-47.
Daddy Wanted me to be Brave, [Online]: Https://Przystanekhistoria.pl/Pa2/
Tematy/Witold-Pilecki/54379,Tata-Chcial-Zebym-Byla-Dzielna.html
Wieliczka-Szarkowa J., Witold Pilecki "Auschwitz was child's play”, Accursed
Soldiers - Unbreakable Heroes, Cracow, 2013, P. 43-53.
Witold Pilecki, executed because he knew the secrets of the communist
prime minister? [Online]: Https://Historia.interia.pl/Ksiazka-Do-Historii/News-
3 Lubyanka in Moscow - today it is the headquarters Witold-Pilecki-Smierc-Bohatera-Zgladzony-Bo-Znal-Tajemnice-K,Nid,1941375
Wygoda A., The sentencing of Witold Pilecki, [Online]: Https://
of the FSB (Russian Federal Security Service). During the Przystanekhistoria.pl/Pa2/Teksty/79765,Wyrok-Na-Witolda-Pileckiego.html
The 75th Anniversary of Witold Pilecki’s death, [Online]: Https://Ipn.gov.pl/
Stalinist period, it housed the internal prison of the NKVD Pl/Dla-Mediow/Komunikaty/185307,Teksaudio-75-Rocznica-Smierci-Witolda-
and the state central prison. Torture was used there on a large Pileckiego.html
scale.
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