On this date in 1948, Witold Pilecki was executed by the Communist government of Poland. The date and circumstances of his death were kept secret for decades, not becoming known until the overthrow of the Communist regime in 1989. Today, Pilecki is a Polish national hero, though the location of his burial has yet to be identified.
Witold Pilecki fought Nazis and Communists, and volunteered to be imprisoned in Auschwitz, where he spent 2 1/2 years before escaping. His life is one of astonishing physical and moral courage and was the subject of my post Volunteering for Auschwitz.
The Chief Rabbi of Poland said of Pilecki:
"When God created the human being, God had in mind that we should all be like Captain Witold Pilecki, of blessed memory"
Pilecki on entering Auschwitz:
Pilecki on trial by the communists:
In my post, I wrote that I had not been able to bring myself to read Pilecki's account of his time in Auschwitz. Since then I've read the report and hope to write about it at a future date.
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