Beneath our feet lies a story of resilience and remembrance at the Cmentarz Parafii Komorów. This is not just a burial ground. It is a testament to a community’s enduring spirit.
For years, the residents of Komorów had no local place to bury their dead. They were forced to use cemeteries in neighboring parishes or even the distant Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw. Imagine the pain of not having a communal space to honor loved ones. The absence of a local cemetery meant a loss of shared history for the community.
Finally, in 1990, after 32 years of Komorów being a parish, Canon Tadeusz Kozłowski consecrated the land for our cemetery. It was a hard-won victory. His efforts took a toll on his health. His predecessor, Canon Józef Jakubczyk, had strived to establish a cemetery.
During World War II, Jakubczyk founded a cemetery in Komorów’s “first forest”, the current school grounds. It was officially established on December 16, 1944. The hospital of St Roch, which was set up in a house on Kolejowa Street to help the sick and wounded insurgents, requested permission through chaplain Józef Jakubczyk to hold masses for patients and bury the dead in the “Na Zieleńcu” woods. Permission was granted.
The consecration was done in the presence of the RGO management and many faithful. However, the cemetery was later closed. The graves of those buried were exhumed. The current location of those remains is unknown.
The Komorów War Cemetery is shrouded in mystery. Thanks to Tomasz Terlecki’s persistence, the full list of those buried there has been compiled.
Zofia Jaśkiewicz was the first person to be buried in the Komorów cemetery on September 5, 1944. She died without a coffin. Stefan Górecki arrived from the Pruszków camp. He died on September 8, 1944. Julianna Klim arrived from the Pruszków camp and died on September 7, 1944.
Elżbieta Slibzak was the five-month-old daughter of refugees from Warsaw. She died and was buried on September 8, 1944. Cecylia Malinowska died on September 24, 1944. She was buried in a grave without a coffin. Wiesław Słoń was a 12-year-old. He was brought from the Pruszków camp wounded and died September 30, 1944. Helena Kamieńska died October 1, 1944. An unknown woman arrived in Komorów from the Pruszków camp. She died on October 5, 1944. Stanisław Smiglus arrived from the Pruszków camp. He died October 6, 1944. Józef Chromiński was brought from the Pruszków camp. He died October 7, 1944.
Witold Kazimierz Adamczewski was brought from the Pruszków camp. He died October 8, 1944. Zofia Kwaśniewska died October 9, 1944. Maurycy Mikołowski arrived from the Pruszków camp. He died October 9, 1944. Klementyna Górska arrived through the camp in Pruszków. She died October 11, 1944. Franciszka Kraska arrived from the Pruszków camp. She died October 13, 1944. Janina Bogacka arrived in Komorów from the camp in Pruszków. She died October 13, 1944. Edward Lütz arrived to Komorów through the Pruszków camp. He died October 13, 1944. Bronisław Moliński arrived from the Pruszków camp. He died October 14, 1944. Aleksander Janowski arrived from the Pruszków camp. He died October 14, 1944. Emilia Rabczuk arrived to Komorów from the Pruszków camp. She died October 15, 1944. Eugenia Skąpska died October 15, 1944. Helena Studencka arrived through the Pruszków camp. She died October 16, 1944.
Władysława Czyżewska arrived to Komorów through the camp in Pruszków. She died October 16, 1944. Bronisława Chodowiec arrived to Komorów through the Pruszków camp. She died October 15, 1944. Anna Krasuska arrived from the Pruszków camp. She died October 17, 1944. Wiktoria Bożek died October 22, 1944. Joanna Nitecka arrived to Komorów from the Pruszków camp. She died October 24, 1944. Karol Przybylski arrived from the Pruszków camp. He died October 27, 1944. Stanisław Frey arrived through the camp in Pruszków. He died November 6, 1944. Eugenia Jeziorańska arrived from the Pruszków camp. She died October 28, 1944. Tomasz Matuszewski died October 31, 1944. Wacław Mazurek died November 1, 1944. Maria Włodarczyk died November 31, 1944.
During the construction of a new school in the early 1970s, the graves were uncovered. In 2004, a birch cross and a marble plaque were erected near the school. On national holidays, people gather to commemorate soldiers and civilians.
The epitaph is incomplete. The area is not well-maintained. The authorities closed the cemetery illegally.
The Cmentarz Parafii Komorów is more than a final resting place. It is a reminder of the past. It embodies the community’s memory.