In tribute to Witold Pilecki

On Tuesday afternoon, several dozen people took part in the Szczecin March of Captain Witold Pilecki. The participants walked through the city center to finally lay flowers and light candles at the obelisk of the Victims of Stalinism at the Central Cemetery.

The event was organised by the All-Polish Youth Szczecin and the Witold Pilecki Patriotic Foundation.

- We want to draw attention to the figure of Witold Pilecki, who was a hero of the 20th century. In recent years, he has been somewhat forgotten - explains Mateusz Wiechecki from the All-Polish Youth Szczecin. - There are even ideas to remove teaching about him from the curriculum of Polish schools. Our initiative, which is today's march, is to draw attention to his figure as a captain and to familiarize the residents of our city with his biography, and to make them aware of what a great man he was. It is worth recalling that Witold Pilecki entered the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp of his own accord to work out the brutal methods of the Nazis.

- Witold Pilecki is one of the heroes of our history. A figure who unites many independence trends. I think that he also unites those who fought for Poland's independence. Certainly, his achievements, his fight, which he led during World War II and later also against the communists, but also earlier, when he was a scout during the Polish-Bolshevik war, deserves attention, remembrance, emphasizes Bartłomiej Ilcewicz, one of the organizers of the march. - Even Western historians pay attention to the figure of Witold Pilecki, if only because he volunteered for the German concentration camp KL Auschwitz. There, he obtained information about what was happening in the camp, passed it on outside and later escaped from this camp. He took part in the Warsaw Uprising, fought in the second corps of General Anders. All this deserves to be remembered.

Bartłomiej Ilcewicz emphasizes that the captain's activities even reached Szczecin, something that few residents know about.

During the march, participants carried a huge banner with the captain's image, as well as a long white and red flag. Those who took part in the event received commemorative pins.

The Szczecin March of Captain Witold Pilecki set off at 6:00 PM from Grunwaldzki Square, then marched through Piłsudskiego Street, Odrodzenia Square, Szarych Szeregów Square, Piastów Avenue, Kościuszki Square, Sikorskiego Street, o. Siwka Roundabout, Sikorskiego Street, Captain Pilecki Roundabout, Ku Słońcu Street and the Central Cemetery. There, they laid flowers at the boulder commemorating the victims of Stalinist repressions and purges. ©℗

Agata Jankowski