English Section

Tribute to Polish resistance fighters killed by communists 73 years ago

28.08.2019 10:30
Wednesday marks 73 years since two members of Poland’s wartime underground Home Army (AK), Danuta Siedzikówna and Feliks Selmanowicz, were executed by the communist regime after World War II.
Inka and Zagończyk were killed on August 28, 1946 by the Soviet-backed communist regime that came to power in Poland after World War II.
Inka and Zagończyk were killed on August 28, 1946 by the Soviet-backed communist regime that came to power in Poland after World War II. Image: pamiec.pl

Siedzikówna (also known as Inka, her nom de guerre) was a medical orderly and was executed when she was just 17 years old.

She was killed together with Selmanowicz (codename Zagończyk) in the northern city of Gdańsk on August 28, 1946, by the Soviet-backed communist regime that came to power in Poland after World War II.

Many who had served in the Home Army (AK), the underground force loyal to the Polish government-in-exile in Britain, were victims of a wave of terror after the war, were vilified as enemies of the state, killed and buried secretly in unnamed graves.

Inka’s and Zagończyk’s remains were found in late 2014 by a team from Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) led by Krzysztof Szwagrzyk.

Memorial ceremonies were on Wednesday scheduled to be held in Gdańsk, on Poland's Baltic coast, where a funeral with special honours for the two resistance fighters took place three years ago.

The 2016 funeral ceremonies, which marked the 70th anniversary of their execution, were attended by senior Polish officials, including President Andrzej Duda.

A decision to posthumously promote the two heroes was announced during a Mass before the funeral.

President Andrzej Duda said at the time: "A country needs heroes to be strong and to be able to bring up the next generations."


A funeral with special honours was held for the two resistance fighters in Gdańsk, on Poland's Baltic coast, three years ago. A funeral with special honours was held for the two resistance fighters in Gdańsk, on Poland's Baltic coast, three years ago. Photo: Krystian Dobuszyński/IAR

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR