The 1944 Warsaw Uprisig Remembrance Association

12 Tarczyńska street - Ochota district

         On February 6, 2022 i.e. the 100th birth anniversary of Prof. Witold Kieżun a mural painting dedicated to that out standing man was ceremonially unveiled. The Ochota district eagerly agreed with the idea of the foundations "Do not forget us" and "The Polsih Brand Foundation named after Prof. Witold Kieżun" and actively participated in the project. Consequently, the mural painting was made thanks to the public fund-raiser.
         Witold Kieżun a.k.a. "Wypad" during his underground activity was a soldier of the K-4 company of the "Karpaty" battalion of the "Baszta" Home Army regiment. During the Warsaw Uprising he fought in the NOW-AK "Gustaw-Harnaś" battalion. He was one of the insurgents who got hold of the General Post Office on the Napoleon Square as well as the Police Station in Krakowskie Przedmieście. He was fighting inside the Holy Cross church. During the action of getting hold of the Post Office he took 14 German prisoners, having acquired their weapons and munitions. You must have seen his photograph taken on that day that shows "Wypad" wearing a German uniform and helmet and holding the acquired a heavy machine gun.
         For his merits while fighting he was awarded the Cross of Valour and the Virtuti Militari Cross, and got promoted to the rank of second lieutenant. He managed to escape from the transport to the POW camp. In the year 1945 he was arrested by the Soviet Secret Police a.k.a. NKWD and deported to the Soviet forced-labour camp in the USSR.
         He came back to his homeland after the amnesty in the year 1946. He graduated from the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, afterwards he gained a doctorate of the Warsaw School of Economics. He worked as an economist and a management theoretician. In the year 1980 he went abroad. For many years he was a lecturer at the universities in the USA and Canada. Having come back to Poland, he worked as a lecturer at the Polish universities. He is believed to have been one of the most known and most respected Warsaw Uprising veterans.
         The mural painting was performed on a side wall of the 12 Tarczyńska street building, in the Warsaw Ochota district. There Prof. Kieżun used to live in the last years of his life. The painting of 210 square meters was performed by Rafał Roskowiński PhD., the fine arts specialist and founder of the Gdańsk Mural School. His main field of activity is history-based monumental composition.
         The mural itself consists of two engravings. In the foreground there is Witold Kieżun, an elegant and smiling young man. In the background one can see his image from the above-mentioned well-known photograph from the Uprising, i.e. Witold Kieżun wearing a German uniform and helmet.
         At the bottom of the mural there are drawings of both the Virtuti Militari order and the Home Army "Gustaw-Harnaś" battalion badge. Between these two there is a piece of information that reads,

Prof. Witold Kieżun
secondo lieutenant "Wypad"
the hero
of the Warsaw Uprising 1944

One can only regret that the mural had been situated in the place that is not well enough visible. One can observe it only in gap between two buildings: 12 Tarczyńska street and 8 Tarczyńska street.
Long-lasting formalities did not allow Prof. Witold Kieżun see the mural's unveiling. He died on June 12, 2021, half a year before the solemnity. He was buried in the Military Powązki Cemetery.

compiled by: Maciej Janaszek-Seydlitz

pictures taken by: Maciej Janaszek-Seydlitz

translated by: Monika Ałasa