The General Maria Wittek Monument[a] is a monument in Warsaw, Poland, placed at the courtyard of the Warsaw National Museum at 3 Jerusalem Avenue. It is dedicated to Maria Wittek, veteran of the First and Second World Wars, and the first woman to receive rank of brigadier general in the Polish Armed Forces. The monument was designed by Jan Bohdan Chmielewski and unveiled on 19 April 2007.
 The monument in 2010. | |
 | |
| 52°13′54.5″N 21°01′32″E / 52.231806°N 21.02556°E | |
| Location | 3 Jerusalem Avenue, Warsaw, Poland |
|---|---|
| Designer | Jan Bohdan Chmielewski |
| Type | Statue |
| Opening date | 19 April 2007 |
| Dedicated to | Maria Wittek |
History
editThe monument was financed by Elżbieta Zawacka, general in the Polish Armed Forces.[1] It was dedicated to Maria Wittek, veteran of the First and Second World Wars, who served during the Invasion of Poland and the Warsaw Uprising, among others. In 1991, she was given the rank of the brigadier general, becoming the first woman in the Polish Armed Forces to do so.[2] The monument was designed by Jan Bohdan Chmielewski and unveiled on 19 April 2007. It was placed at the courtyard of the Polish Army Museum, which currently belongs to the Warsaw National Museum.[1][3]
Characteristics
editThe moment is placed at the courtyard of the Warsaw National Museum at 3 Jerusalem Avenue. It consists of the statue of general Maria Wittek, wearing a military uniform. Next to her legs is placed a shield with the relief depicting the insignia of the Polish Armed Forces, in form of the military eagle, with crown and raised wings, that is perched on a pelte shield. To her right is placed an epitaph panel, with the inscription as transcribed below.[3][4]
| Polish inscription | English translation |
|---|---|
Gererał Maria Wittek |
General Maria Wittek |
Komendantka Naczelna Przysposobienia Wojskowego Kobiet – PWK |
Commander-in-Chief of the Women's Military Training |
Szwef Wojskowej Służby Kobiet Komendy Głównej Armii Krajowej – WSK-AK |
Chief of the Women's Military Service of the Home Army Major Command |
Przechodniu! Przy pomniku gen. Marii Wittek uczci pamięć wielu tysięcy kobiet polskiech poległych w walkach o niepodległość na wszyskich frontach I i II wojny światowej, pełniących służbę w okupowanym kraju, na Zachodzie i na Wschodzie. |
You that walk by! Next to the monument of general Maria Wittek, give honour the thousands of women who have fallen in the battles for the independence, fought on all fronts of the First and Second World Wars, that served in the occupied Country, in the West, and in the East. |
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Katarzyna Minczykowska: Elżbieta Zawacka. "Zelma", "Sulica", "Zo". Toruń: Fundacja Generał Elżbiety Zawackiej w Toruniu, 2019, p. 39. ISBN 978-83-88693-79-3
- ^ "20 lat temu zmarła Maria Wittek - pierwsza generał w historii WP". dzieje.pl (in Polish). 19 April 2017.
- ^ a b Katarzyna Minczykowska: Cichociemna. Generał Elżbieta Zawacka "Zo". Warsaw: Oficyna Wydawnicza RYTM, 2014, p. 292. ISBN 978-83-7399-620-5. (in Polish)
- ^ "Kobiety na warszawskich pomnikach". um.warszawa.pl (in Polish). 8 March 2023.