Polish Auschwitz volunteer Pilecki Report published. Soon to go worldwide
"Witold's Report" - the first report on attrocities of the Holocaust written down by "bravest of the brave", a volunteer to Auschwitz Witold Pilecki has been printed and is soon to go big. Among others, schools, libraries will receive free copies.
This is a great thing that owing to cooperation with the Foreign Ministry the Witold's report will now reach all Polish diplomatic missions abroad (...). The fact that the book was published by a NGO is significant", deputy head of the National Security Bureau (BBN) Dariusz Gwizdala said.
It means that we all can get engaged and support the government in promoting Polish heroes, Gwizdala went on.
He made the statement during the presentation of a unique "Witold's Report" book published by the Cracow's "Where" foundation, The Study of Underground Poland in London and APOSTOLICUM publishing in Warsaw's 'PASTA' Building on Wednesday.
The publication of Witold's Report was prefaced by President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda, daughter of Captain Pilecki, Zofia Pilecka - Optulowicz and MoD, Prof. Wojciech Fałkowski.
Witold's report was presented at the International Book Fair in London, promoting Poland's "bravest of the brave" among both compatriots (with the support of the Polish Institute and the Polish Social and Cultural Center), as well as foreigners at the fair in Olympia.
The Polish Ambassador to London, Arkady Rzegocki, also appreciated the importance of the undertaking and invited the publishers: Eugenia Maresch and and the "Where" Foundation representative, Małgorzata Kupiszewska, to personally get to know the "Witold Report".
Rotamaster Witold Pilecki's report (a famous report from the German death camp in Auschwitz) was the first one of this kind. It was developed very conscientiously, with enormous care for fidelity to the original manuscript. The seemingly insignificant emotional, sometimes even unemotional and rough language of the Report, shows with exceptional precision the "hell on earth".
At moments almost statistical and impersonal description of humanity exposed to extreme experiences and traumas, but also attempting to battle criminal oppression, indeed deserves a world literary reward - by no means for the floridity of the language and a profound narrative, but for the authenticity of facts and tragic truth.
Witold's editorial board included: dr. Józef Brynkus, Michał Siwiec-Cielebon, prof. Wieslaw Jan Wysocki and rev Grzegorz Radzikowski. Weronika Wierzchowska is the author of the cover of the Polish edition.
Pilecki, writing down what he had seen and done at KL Auschwitz, although offered, did not do it for money. He did not do it to be promoted, as he was on just another mission - as much daredevil as doomed.
The reporter wrote it all for Memory and History in order to recall hundreds of his collaborators who were involved in the camp conspiracy, to prepare his fellow prisoners for a moment of possible insurrection and liberation. Hope and encouragement, medical and organizational help, the food that Pilecki's underground organization would provide doubtless saved lives of thousands of prisoners.
For political reasons in postwar Poland, the existence of such an extensive underground conspiracy in KL Auschwitz was hushed and the image of the conspiracy activity against Germany was being warped and doctored. Pilecki's achievement, namely, setting up a conspiracy and professionally run business under extreme oppression, is an event unprecedented feat even from today's perspective.
The Communists have failed to condemn the Polish hero to oblivion - the sentence spoken by Mrs Tsai Ing - Wen, the president of Taiwan - after reading the Report is proof that the restitution of memory, which involves the restoration of dignity and honour to the forgotten Hero, with his rehabilitation of Witold Pilecki is gradually becoming the mission of the whole world. The publication is a result of the project of Captain Pilecki - Hero of the Unconvinced co-financed by the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the NCK, the PZU Foundation and the PKO BP Foundation. Partners include the Central Military Library in Warsaw, the Institute of National Remembrance and the Foundation for the Traditions of Cities and Villages.
Note 1: Witold Pilecki was a Polish soldier and rotamaster in the pre-war Polich cavalry. In German-occupied Poland he founded the Secret Polish Army resistance group in November 1939, subsequently joining the 1942-formed underground Home Army (AK).
Pilecki, called "the bravest of the brave" and considered one of top 5 war heroes of all time was the author of the so-called Witold's Report, the first comprehensive account of proceedings in the Auschwitz concentration camp and the Holocaust.
During World War Two Pilecki volunteered for a resistance operation to get imprisoned in the Auschwitz death camp, where he planned to gather intelligence and escape. At Auschwitz Pilecki organized a resistance movement and as early as 1941 informed the Western Allies about Nazi atrocities in the camp. After escaping from Auschwitz in 1943, he took part in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising.
He remained loyal to the London-based Polish exile government after the communist takeover of Poland, and in 1947 was arrested on charges of working for "foreign imperialism". He was executed in 1948 after a show trial. His body is still to be found. Information about his activities and fate was suppressed by the Polish communist regime until 1989.
Note 2: PASTA building was a pre-war Polish telephone operator, and the first sky-scrapper in Russian Empire, which occupied part of Poland's territory before WWI. During the Warsaw Uprising, on August 20, 1944, the building was captured by Polish insurgents of AK battalion "Kiliński” after 20 days of bloody fight against Germans. It was one of the most notable successes of Home Army in the Warsaw Uprising. (PAP)
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