A park with a pond full of swans and ducks, dedicated to pilot Mieczysław Kałuża, killed in the first days of the 1939 defensive war.
Mieczysław Kałuża Municipal Park lies in the centre of Wieluń, between ulica Wojska Polskiego and ulica Powstańców 1863. It covers approximately 3.5 hectares and has a pond in which swans and ducks live. It is one of the main green spaces in the city, named after an aviator connected to local history.
Mieczysław Kałuża was born in Wieluń on 14 May 1912 and became a major pilot. He died on 15 September 1939 as a result of fire from Polish anti-aircraft artillery during a reconnaissance flight in a PZL.37 Łoś aircraft, thus at the very beginning of the defensive war. For his service he received the Silver Cross of the Order Virtuti Militari numbered 9096, four times the Cross of Valour and the British Distinguished Flying Cross.
After the war Kałuża worked as an instructor at the Air Force Officers' School in Dęblina and later served with Polish Airlines LOT. He died on 6 May 1960 in Wieluń and was buried in the Catholic cemetery at ulica 3 Maja in that city. The park was named after him as a commemoration of a city resident who travelled from the defensive battles of 1939 to civil aviation. Such naming of a municipal park after a local war hero is common practice in smaller towns, where the municipal park becomes at the same time a place of remembrance.
The main element of the park is the pond, around which walking paths lead. On the water and at the shore you can encounter swans and ducks, which makes the park a popular spot for family walks. The park has a small area, approximately 3.5 hectares, which allows you to tour it in its entirety in some fifteen minutes, but it is sufficient for a peaceful rest in the city centre.
Be the first! Add a comment.
You need to log in to add a comment.
Log in