Why does this plaque honoring mjr. Michał Issajewicz “Miś” stand here? It marks the long-time residence of a remarkable man. This plaque commemorates a life of courage and dedication.
Michał Issajewicz was born on August 18 1921. His birthplace was Baranowicze. He died in Warsaw on March 4 2012. He was a major in the Polish Army. Issajewicz was also a soldier of the Home Army during World War II. He endured the horrors of the Stutthof concentration camp.
Issajewicz joined the Union of Armed Struggle in 1940. He was arrested by the NKVD and imprisoned. After the German-Soviet war began he was freed. However the Germans soon deported him. They forced him to work in Królewiec.
In 1943 he found himself in Warsaw. He connected with the resistance movement. By January 1944 he had joined “Agat”. This unit soon changed its name to “Pegaz”. Later it became the “Parasol” battalion.
Issajewicz participated in the successful assassination. The target was Franz Kutschera. Kutschera was the SS and police commander for the Warsaw district. The assassination took place on February 1 1944. It happened in Warsaw’s Aleje Ujazdowskie.
During the action Issajewicz drove the Adler-Triumph-Junior car. He was the third executor of the sentence. He blocked Kutschera’s car forcing it to stop. This allowed his colleagues to shoot at him. Issajewicz also fired at the SS commander. He sustained a minor head wound during the attack. For his participation he received the Cross of Valour. Later he also received the Virtuti Militari Order.
A few weeks later Issajewicz was arrested by the Germans. He was imprisoned in Pawiak prison. However he was not recognized as an assassin of Kutschera. On May 24 1944 he was deported to Stutthof. He was with the first transport of prisoners from Warsaw. His camp number was 36127. In the concentration camp he continued his underground activities. He took part in preparations for an uprising. These were led by Home Army soldiers and Soviet prisoners. Eventually the plan was abandoned. Most prisoners would have died in the fighting.
After the war Issajewicz lived briefly in Słupsk. In 1947 he came to Warsaw. He was active in veteran circles. He worked as an educator. He was with the 208th Warsaw Scout and Cub Scout Troop. The troop was named after the “Parasol” Battalion.
This plaque on Mianowskiego Street serves as a powerful reminder. It honors a man who embodied courage resilience and unwavering dedication to his country. It ensures that the story of mjr. Michał Issajewicz “Miś” will never be forgotten.