Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Warsaw

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Polish: Grób Nieznanego Żołnierza) is a monument in Warsaw, Poland, dedicated to the unknown soldiers who have given their lives for Poland. It is one of many such national tombs of unknowns that were erected after World War I, and the most important such monument in Poland.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Inscription: Tu leży żołnierz Polski poległy za Ojczyznę
Trans.: "Here lies a Polish soldier fallen for the Homeland"

Tablets with names and dates of significant battles in Polish history

The monument, located at Piłsudski Square, is the only surviving part of the Saxon Palace that occupied the spot until World War II. Since 2 November 1925 the tomb houses the unidentified body of a young soldier who fell during the Defence of Lwów. Since then, earth from numerous battlefields where Polish soldiers have fought has been added to the urns housed in the surviving pillars of the Saxon Palace.

The Tomb is constantly lit by an eternal flame and assisted by a guard post provided by the three companies of the 1st Guards Battalion, Representative Regiment of the Polish Armed Forces. It is there that most official military commemorations take place in Poland and where foreign representatives lay wreaths when visiting Poland.

The changing of the guard takes place every full hour, 365 days a year.

History

In 1923, a group of unknown Varsovians placed, before Warsaw's Saxon Palace and the adjacent Saxon Garden, a stone tablet commemorating all the unknown Polish soldiers who had fallen in World War I and the subsequent Polish-Soviet War. This initiative was taken up by several Warsaw newspapers and by General Władysław Sikorski. On April 4, 1925, the Polish Ministry of War selected a battlefield from which the ashes of an unknown soldier would be brought to Warsaw. Of some 40 battles, that for Lwów was chosen. In October 1925, at Lwów's Cemetery of the Defenders of Lwów, three coffins were exhumed: those of an unknown sergeant, corporal, and private. The coffin that was to be transported to Warsaw was chosen by Jadwiga Zarugiewiczowa, mother of a soldier who had fallen at Zadwórze and whose body had never been found.

On November 2, 1925, the coffin was brought to Warsaw's St. John's Cathedral, where a Mass was held. Afterward eight recipients of the order of Virtuti Militari bore the coffin to its final resting place beneath the colonnade joining the two wings of the Saxon Palace. The coffin was buried along with 14 urns containing soil from as many battlegrounds, a Virtuti Militari medal, and a memorial tablet. Since then, except under German occupation during World War II, an honor guard has continuously been held before the Tomb.

Architecture

The Tomb was designed by the famous Polish sculptor, Stanisław Kazimierz Ostrowski. It was located within the arcade that linked the two symmetrical wings of the Saxon Palace, then the seat of the Polish Ministry of War. The central tablet was ringed by 5 eternal flames and 4 stone tablets bearing the names and dates of battles in which Polish soldiers had fought during World War I and the Polish–Soviet War (1919–21). Behind the Tomb were two steel gratings bearing emblems of Poland's two highest Polish military decorations—the Virtuti Militari and Cross of Valor.

During the 1939 invasion of Poland, the building was slightly damaged by German aerial bombing, but it was quickly rebuilt and seized by the German authorities. After the Warsaw Uprising, in December 1944, the palace was completely demolished by the Wehrmacht. Only part of the central colonnade, sheltering the Tomb, was preserved. Although German sappers were ordered to demolish the entire palace they refused to demolish the section that housed the tomb and its memorial. The original damaged walls either side of the present building are still in evidence.

After the war, in late 1945, reconstruction began. Only a small part of the palace, containing the Tomb, was restored by Henryk Grunwald. On 8 May 1946 it was opened to the public. Soil from 24 additional battlegrounds was added to the urns, as well as more tablets with names of battles in which Poles had fought in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. However, the government of the Polish People's Republic erased all trace of the Polish–Soviet War of 1920 as a goodwill gesture towards the Soviet Union, and only a few of the Polish Armed Forces' battles in the West were included. In the years following the end of communism in Poland in 1989, the names of Polish-Soviet War battles were restored, the names of Spanish Civil War battles were erased, and tablets containing the names of battles fought by the cursed soldiers were added.

In August 2022 ground works started on rebuilding the Saxon Palace, after the Polish Government announced a plan for reconstruction. It is expected to be completed by 2030.

Battles currently featured on the stone tablets

972–1683 Cedynia 24 VI 972 Wołyń nad Bugiem 22 VII 1018 Głogów August – September 1109 Legnica 9 IV 1241 Płowce 27 IX 1331 Grunwald 15 VII 1410 Warna 10 XI 1444 Orsza 8 IX 1514 Psków 24 VIII 1581-15 I 1582 Kircholm 27 IX 1605 Kłuszyn-Moskwa 4 VII-28 VIII 1610	972–1683 Cecora 18-29 IX 1620 Chocim 2 IX-9 X 1621 / 10-11 XI 1673 Trzciana 25 VI 1629 Smoleńsk 18 X 1632-25 II 1634 Beresteczko 28-30 VI 1651 Jasna Góra 18 XI-26 XII 1655 Warszawa 30 V-1 VII, 28-30 VII 1656 Cudnów 14 IX-3 X 1660 Lwów 24 VIII 1675 Wiedeń 12 IX 1683	1768–1863 Konfederacja barska 29 II 1768–18 VIII 1772 Zieleńce 18 VI 1792 Racławice 4 IV 1794 Warszawa 17 IV-4 XI 1794 Warszawa 6-8 IX 1831 Wilno 22 IV-13 VIII 1794 Maciejowice 10 X 1794 Trebbia 17-19 VI 1799 Somosierra 10 XI 1808 Raszyn 19 IV 1809 Smoleńsk 17 VIII 1812
1768–1863 Borodino 5-7 X 1812 Zamość 24 I-22 XI 1813/14 VII-21 X 1831 Lipsk 16-19 X 1813 Arcis sur Aube 19 III 1814 Stoczek 14 II 1831 Grochów 22 II 1831 Ostrołęka 26 V 1831 Miłosław 30 IV 1848 Temesvar 8 VIII 1849 Noc styczniowa 22/23 I 1863	Sybiria since 1768 Cytadela Warszawa 1833–1915 Łukiszki 1861–1864, 1940–1945 Poznań VII Fort 1939–1945 Pawiak-Al. Szucha 1939–1944 Montelupich-Brygidki-Zamek Lubelski 1939–1945 Łubianka-Butryki 1939–1945 Katyń-Charków-Miednoje 1940 Ciepielów 9 IX 1939 Osuchy 25-26 VI 1944 Podgaje 31 I 1945	1863–1921 Małogoszcz 24 II 1863 Ginietynie 21 IV 1863 Horki 17-25 V 1863 Miropol 17 V 1863 Żyrzyn 8 VIII 1863 Iłża 17 I 1864 Trans-Baikal Uprising 1866 Armed Resistance 1904–1908 Poznań-Ławica 28 XII 1918-6 I 1919 Rawicz 9 II 1919
1863–1921 Cieszyn-Skoczów 23-26 I 1919 Ostrołęka 5 VIII 1920 Zadwórze 17 VIII 1920 Dęblin – Mińsk Mazowiecki 16-18 VIII 1920 Cyców 16 VIII 1920 Białystok 22 i 30 VIII 1920 Sejny 2-10 i 22 IX 1920 Mińsk Litewski 15 X 1920 Bytom 16 VIII 1919 Katowice 19 VIII 1920 Góra Świętej Anny 21-27 V 1921	1914–1918 Laski-Anielin 1914 Mołotków 29 X 1914 Krzywopłoty 14 XI 1914 Łowczówek 24 XII 1914 Arras 9 V 1915 Konary 16-22 V 1915 Pakosław 19-20 V 1915 Rokitna 13 VI 1915 Tarłów 30 VI-2 VII 1915 Kosciuchnówka 4 XI 1915 i 4-6 VII 1916	1914–1918 Krechowce 24 VII 1917 Bobrujsk 2 II-11 III 1918 Kaniów 11 V 1918 Murmań 1918 Syberia 1918–1920 Kubań-Odessa 1918–1919 St. Hilaire Le Garde near Reims 25 VII 1918 Powstania wielkopolskie Powstania górnośląskie
1918–1920 Lwów listopad 1918-marzec 1919 Lida 16 IV 1919 i 28 IX 1920 Wilno 19 IV 1919 – 9 X 1920 Dyneburg 3 I 1920 Kijów 7 V-11 VI 1920 Borodzianka 11-13 VI 1920 Chorupań pod Dubnem 19 VII 1920 Nastasów pod Tarnopolem 31 VII-6 VIII 1920 Radzymin-Ossów 13-15 VIII 1920	1918–1920 Borkowo pod Nasielskiem 14-15 VIII 1920 Sarnowa Góra pod Ciechanowem 16-20 VIII 1920 Przasnysz 21-22 VIII 1920 Komarów-Hrubieszów 30 VIII-1 IX 1920 Kobryń 14-15 IX 1920 Dytiatyń 16 IX 1920 Brzostowice 20 IX 1920 Grodno-Obuchowo 20-25 IX 1920 Krwawy Bór pod Papiernią 27-28 IX 1920	1939–1945 Westerplatte-Oksywie-Hel 1 IX-2 X 1939 Krojanty 1 IX 1939 Bory Tucholskie 1-3 IX 1939 Mława 1-3 IX 1939 Mokra 1-2 IX 1939 Obrona Śląska 1-5 IX 1939 Piotrków-Tomaszów Mazowiecki 5-7 IX 1939 Iłża 8 IX 1939 Wizna 8-10 IX 1939
1939–1945 Warszawa-Modlin 8-29 IX 1939 Bzura 9-22 IX 1939 Kałuszyn 11-12 IX 1939 Lwów 12-22 IX 1939 / 22-26 VII 1944 Boratycze 14 IX 1939 Tomaszów Lubelski 17-27 IX 1939 Obrona Granicy Wschodniej RP 17 IX-1 X 1939 Grodno 2-22 IX 1939 Szack-Wytyczno 28 IX-1 X 1939 Kock 2-5 X 1939	1939–1945 Akcje Podziemia 1939–1945 Góry Świętokrzyskie 1939–1945 Narvik 12 V-6 VI 1940 Lagarde 17-18 VI 1940 Clos du Doubs 18-19 VI 1940 Tobruk 22 VIII-10 XII 1941 Zamojszczyzna 30 XII 1942-5 II 1943 Getto warszawskie 19 IV-8 V 1943 Lenino 12-13 X 1943 Kowel-Włodzimierz Wołyński 19 I-21 V 1944	1939–1945 Monte Cassino 11-25 V 1944 Lasy Janowskie-Puszcza Solska 9-25 VI 1944 Operacja "Burza" czerwiec-wrzesień 1944 Wilno 7-13 VII 1944 Ancona 17-18 VII 1944 Wisła-Praga 29 VII-2 X 1944 Powstanie warszawskie 1 VIII-2 X 1944 Falaise-Chambois 8-21 VIII 1944 Surkonty 21 VIII 1944 Arnhem 18-25 IX 1944
1939–1945 Breda 29-30 X 1944 Wał Pomorski 1-10 II 1945 Cytadela Poznańska 21-23 II 1945 Kołobrzeg 8-18 III 1945 Bolonia 9-21 IV 1945 Odra 16-20 IV 1945 Nysa Łużycka 16-19 IV 1945 Budziszyn 23-28 IV 1945 Wilhelmshaven 24 IV-5 V 1945 Berlin 26 IV-2 V 1945	Cursed soldiers 1945–1963 Rudniki 6 I 1945 Rowiny 29 I 1945 Kuryłówka 7 V 1945 Las Stocki 24 V 1945 Obława Augustowska 12-21 VII 1945 Miodusy Pokrzywne 18 VIII 1945 Zwoleń 15 VI 1946 Raczkowszczyzna 12 V 1949 Majdan Kozic Górnych 21 X 1963	Navy Oliwa 28 XI 1627 Czarnobyl 27 IV 1920 Bałtyk 1 IX-5 X 1939 Morze Północne 3 IX 1939-8 V 1945 Atlantyk 9 IX 1939-8 V 1945 Morze Śródziemne 11 VI 1940–30 XII 1944 Morze Barentsa 20 VII 1941–10 I 1944 Zatoka Salerno 8-16 IX 1943 Inwazja Normandii 6 VI 1944 Konwoje 1939–1945
Air force Lwów 5 XI 1918 Operacja Warszawska, Bitwy nad Wisłą Operacja Niemeńska nad Niemnem sierpień-wrzesień 1920 Obrona Polski wrzesień 1939 Battle of Britain 10 VII-31 X 1940 Niemcy 24 III 1941-4 V 1945 Loty do Polski 1941–1945 Bitwa o Atlantyk 10 V 1942-8 V 1945 Tunezja 17 III-12 V 1943 Normandia 6 VI 1944 Brandenburgia 16 IV-4 V 1945

Gallery

• 
  Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as a part of the Saxon Palace in 1928
• 
  An original tablet from the Tomb
• 
  Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (far right) with (from left) Evangelical Church, the Zachęta art gallery, and, in background, Palace of Culture and Science
• 
  Saxon Garden, with Tomb in background
• 
  Monument to the victims of 2010 Smolensk air crash, in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
• 
  Remains of the Saxon Palace and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, 1945, after the destruction of Warsaw

External links

• Treasures of Warsaw on-line
• (in Polish) The Tomb in 1939 and nowadays
• (in Polish) History of the Tomb
• (in Polish) VIRTUAL TOUR