The iconic military commander, who was born on February 4, 1746 and died in 1817, is widely remembered as a national hero in both Poland and the United States. Many have praised his military exploits and engineering skills.
US founding father Thomas Jefferson called Kościuszko “the purest son of liberty ... that I have ever known, the kind of liberty which extends to all, not only to the rich."
Polish President Andrzej Duda has described Kościuszko as a "patron of Polish liberty" and said that the man’s life, ideas and achievements could be a source of inspiration for both Poles and people around the world.
The director of the Warsaw-based Polish History Museum, Robert Kostro, has described Kościuszko as “an icon of Polish patriotism and democratic aspirations,” saying the military leader was “not only respected but highly revered by his contemporaries – Poles, Americans, French and Swiss.”
In 1794, after the second partition of Poland between czarist Russia, Prussia and Austria, Kościuszko led an insurrection against Moscow.
During the American War of Independence, he served as a colonel in the Continental Army. He designed and oversaw the construction of state-of-the-art fortifications, including those at the famous West Point military academy.
He died in Switzerland on October 15, 1817. A year later, his remains were brought to Poland and placed in a crypt at Wawel Cathedral in the southern city of Kraków, a pantheon of Polish kings and national heroes.
(gs/pk)
Source: polskieradio24.pl