38 Grójecka Street. The St. Jacob Apostle church.
The church was built in the years 1911-1938.
It was being subsequently damaged: firstly while being bombed in September 1939, then during the Warsaw Uprising 1944. The roof over the main nave was burnt, and the tower was strongly damaged. Also, the wooden tower that had been standing next to the church, burnt down. Inside the tower there were bells meant to be put in the Temple of Divine Providence. The restoration of the church lasted until the year 1960.
On the church wall one can see the following plaques:
- commemoratinmg the soldiers and civilians who defended the Wawel Reduta and then died or were murdered during the Warsaw Uprising;
- in memory of 525 Home Army soldiers of 7th infantry regiment "Garłuch", fallen and murdered during the occupation and in the Warsaw Uprising;
- in memory of the Grey Regiments' scouts from the scout district Ochota and the troop OC 100 commanded by Wiesław Perlikowski a.k.a. "Orlik" who fell during the occupation and the Warsaw Uprising and those murdered in concentration camps;
- commemorating Guides and Scouts of the Grey Regiments from Ochota district, fallen in the Warsaw Uprising;
- in memory of Major-General Stefan Rowecki a.k.a. "Grot", the Home Army Chief Commander;
- in memory of the Home Army officer, scoutmaster Stefan Mirowski a.k.a. "Prawdzic", the co-originator of the "Grey Regiments", the commander of the War Region of Scouts;
- in memory of Fr. Jan Salamucha, the chaplain and dean of IV District Ochota and vice-dean of North Region of the Home Army Warsaw District, murdered on August 11, 1944 by SS soldiers.
In the side naves on both sides of the church there are 12 beautiful stained glass windows installed. They are all dedicated to fight and martyrology of Polish soldiers during WW II.
The following generals have been honoured here: Władysław Sikorski, Michał Tokarzewski a.k.a. "Torwid", Stefan Rowecki a.k.a. "Grot", Tadeusz Komorowski a.k.a. "Bór" and Leopold Okulicki a.k.a. "Niedźwiadek".
Among the mentioned are the following:
- the places of the Polish people's martyrdom, i.e. Wawer, Skłoby, Gałki, Pawiak, Aleja Szucha, Palmiry, Michniów, Ponary, the Warsaw Ghetto, Łukiszki, Fort VII in Poznań, Montelupich, Rotunda Zamojska, the Lublin Castle, Łęcki prison and Radogoszcz;
- the Resistance's participants: the Hubal soldiers, the Grey Regiments, Cichociemni ("The Silent-Dark Ones" Paratroopers of the Home Army), Wachlarz-Action, N-Action, the couriers and liaison women, codetalkers and nurses;
- the places of the biggest battles of the Home Army soldiers: Wojda, Osuchy, Lasy Janowskie, Lasy Lipskie, Puszcza Solska, Wykus, Czerwony Bór, Janna, Ochotnica, Murowana, Oszmiana, Puszcza Nalibocka, Puszcza Kampinoska, Wilno, Nawogródek, Lwów, Polesie, Wołyń, Turia, Lasy Szackie, Złoty Potok and the Warsaw Uprising;
- the concentration camps: Auschwitz-Birkenau (Oświęcim-Brzezinka), Sachsenhausen, Buchenwald, Stuthoff, Mathausen, Majdanek, Ravensbrück, Treblinka, Gross-Rosen, Dachau, Żagań and Flossenburg;
- the places of mass execution of Polish officers in April and May 1940 i.e.: Kozielsk, Ostaszków, Starobielsk;
- the fighting route of General Anders' Army: USRR, Palestine, Africa and Italy;
- the fights of the Polish Armed Forces in the West i.e.: Lotaryngia, Montbard, Narwik, the Battle of England, Tobruk, Gazala, Monte Cassino, Ankona, Bolonia, Falaise, Axel, Breda, Arnhem, military convoys, marine battles, "Orzeł", "Burza" and "Wicher".
The stained glass windows are believed to be the first memorial place in our country created in honor of the Home Army and the Polish Armed Forces in the West.
The piece of work was initiated by "The Silent-Dark Ones" Paratroopers of the Home Army: Colonel Kazimierz Iranek-Osmecki and Major Bolesław Jabłoński.
Into the Founding Comitee belonged also: Major Jerzy Emir-Hassan, Major Adolf Pilch, Colonel Franciszek Kamiński, Colonel Antoni Sanojca, Major Bolesław Kotowski, Colonel Michał Stępkowski, Captain Stanisław Marszal and Captain Marian Warda.
The work was being supervised and coordinated by the group of the Home Army soldiers: Stanisław Korwin-Szymanowski, Zygmunt Cielniak, Longin Kołosowski, Hanna Jabłońska, Jędrzej Tucholski, and Edward Jachosz.
The visual scenario was made by Fr. Henryk Żochowski PhD, the parish priest.
The project and the work itself were made in the years 1986-1989. The visual artist was Mr. Ryszard Więckowski.
The Home Army and the Polish Armed Forces in the West soldiers together with their families were donators.
|