Four faces tell a powerful story. This is the Rotmistrz Witold Pilecki Mural. It stands here on Ursynów in Warsaw. This mural commemorates an extraordinary Polish hero. Witold Pilecki’s life is depicted in four stages.
The Rotmistrz Witold Pilecki Mural is located on the building at Rotmistrza Witolda Pileckiego 111. You can see it across from Arena Ursynów. Zuzanna Podlewska from Bakcyl Studio designed the mural. It illustrates Pilecki’s life. It shows him from a young, fiery man to a soldier. He is also shown as a prisoner in Auschwitz and finally as a condemned man.
The mural includes Pilecki’s words. They read: “I have tried to live so that at the hour of my death I would rather feel joy than fear.” The mural also shows his birth and death dates: 1901-1948.
The Rotmistrz Witold Pilecki Mural was unveiled during a ceremony. Representatives from Ursynów District, the Ministry of National Defense, Stowarzyszenie GROM, and Bakcyl Studio attended. Robert Kempa, the mayor of Ursynów, spoke at the event. He said Ursynów was one of the first districts to create large murals. He noted this mural honors a national hero. The mural’s creative design tells much about Pilecki’s life and Poland’s history. Kempa called Pilecki a “kozak,” an unbeatable hero. He expressed hope that young people and residents would learn about Pilecki from the mural.
The Rotmistrz Witold Pilecki Mural was created for the “Mur, ale historia Wojska Polskiego” competition. The Ursynów District and the Ministry of National Defense supported the project. Stowarzyszenie GROM came up with the idea. Bakcyl Studio designed and created the mural.
Witold Pilecki was an officer in ZWZ-AK. He voluntarily entered Auschwitz. He wrote reports about the Holocaust. He fought in the Warsaw Uprising. Communist authorities executed him on May 25, 1948, in a prison on Rakowiecka Street.
The location of his burial is unknown. It is believed his body was dumped in a death pit at the Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw. Researchers from the Institute of National Remembrance are also investigating another theory. They believe Pilecki may be buried in the prison courtyard.
The Rotmistrz Witold Pilecki Mural serves as a reminder. It honors a man of immense courage and unwavering spirit. His story continues to inspire. It stands as a testament to his dedication to Poland.