The photo report of the initiating the exhibition entitled "Tribute to the heroic Defenders of Reduta Kaliska " - 2017.
On August 2, 2017 on the square named after Reduta Kaliska (Grójecka and Kaliska streets) the exhibition entitled "Tribute to the heroic Defenders of Reduta Kaliska" was solemnly initiated. It is devoted to the Home Army soldiers who defended Reduta during the Warsaw Uprising.
The exhibition was organized by both the SPPW 1944 and the 26 School Complex in Warsaw.
the authors of the exhibition, from the left: Andrzej Gałązka, Halina Grabowska, Karolina Matyjasek and Marek Augustyniak
The aim of the exhibition is to remind us that at the area of Grójecka and Kaliska street fights were fiercely fought by insurgents to defend access to the city centre.
In the ceremony the representatives of the Ochota district management took part: Witold Dzięciołowski, Katarzyna Łęgiewicz, the mayor of Ochota district, and Grzegorz Wysocki, the vice-mayor of Ochota district.
Mrs. Katarzyna Łęgiewicz, the mayor of Ochota district
Among numerous guests there were: Piotr Żbikowski, the vice-mayor of Praga-Południe district,
Piotr Żbikowski - the initiator of the Reduta Kaliska Monument
soldiers and insurgents of the Home Army Soldiers of the 4th Ochota District, the representatives of the Club of the Former Political Soldiers of the Mathausen-Gusen Concentration Camp as well as the members of the Uniform Motorcycling Club "Smoking Barrels".
combatants and motorcyclists
The exhibition organizer, i.d. the 1944 Warsaw Uprising Remembrance Association, was represented by its chairman Mr. Maciej Białecki and the secretary Mrs. Ewa Furmańska.
The SPPW 1944 chairman Maciej Białecki
from the left: the chairman of the Home Army Soldiers of the 4th Ochota District Władysława Marcinkiewicz, Halina Grabowska and Ewa Furmańska - SPPW 1944
During the ceremony Bogdan Bartnikowski and Sylwester Kominek a.k.a. "Mścisław" shared their uprising memories.
from the left: Bogdan Bartnikowski and Sylwester Kominek a.k.a. "Mścisław"
The defence of Reduta Kaliska lasted from August 2 till August 10, 1944. There existed two points of resistance: the first one in the Nasierowski factory in the 9 Kaliska 9 street, commanded by Andrzej Chyczewski a.k.a. "Gustaw", the second in the Tobacco factory in the 1 Kaliska street commanded by Józef Zając a.k.a. "Pobóg".
The exhibition shows both commanders, the Tobacco factory's president Roman Kubec - the pre-uprising conspiracy boss in the factory, who perished in its defence on August 7, the liaison of "Pobóg" - Westyna Gójska a.k.a. "Wera" as well as the map of Reduta and the photographs of the buildings. The heroic defence of the Tobacco factory lasted seven days, at that time Germans were not allowed to access the City Centre, which allowed to better organize the fights in the centre and to form the group "Chrobry II" which effectively defended the Tourist House in the Starynkiewicz square and the Post Station nearby the streets: Żelazna - Chmielna and which became in insurgents' hands till the end of the Uprising.
After the defeat of the Tobacco factory the further defense of Reduta Kaliska was impossible. The commander Lt. Andrzej Chyczewski "Gustaw" ordered to leave Reduta and retreat the unit to Chojnowski Forest. After re-grouping, some part of the unit came back to Warsaw and took part in fights in the Mokotów district.
The commander of the Demence of the Polish Tobacco factory Józef Zając was born on June 7, 1917 in Parysów, district of Garwolin. From the year 1940 he belonged to the organization Związek Walki Zbrojnej. In the year 1943 he moved to Warsaw. In conspiracy he used two surnames: Jarzębski and Błażejewski, and after the Warsaw Uprising he was called Józef Nowacki. After the WW II he was persecuted by UB (the Secret Political Police); in the year 1947 he fled from Poland. He died in the emigration in Sweden on October 8, 1989.
The exhibition will be open till October 2, 2017.
written by: Andrzej Gałązka
compiled by: Maciej Janaszek-Seydlitz
pictures taken by: Paulina Reszka
translation: Monika Ałasa
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