Monument to the Cursed Soldiers

At the intersection of Kościuszki and Złotnickiego streets in central Zduńska Wola stands a metal cross set upon a field stone. This is the Monument to the Cursed Soldiers, dedicated to the memory of soldiers of the anti-communist underground, and in particular to Józef Przybylski, commander of the local district of the Zrzeszenia Wolność i Niezawisłość (Association for Freedom and Independence).

Cross on stone

The monument has a simple form: a roughly three-metre metal cross rises from a field stone, crowned with the Polish Army eagle. Engraved on the stone are the words "WALCZĄCYM Z SOWIECKIM OKUPANTEM I KOMUNISTYCZNYM ZNIEWOLENIEM" (To those who fought against Soviet occupation and communist enslavement) and Zbigniew Herbert's motto "NIE DAJMY ZGINĄĆ POLEGŁYM" (Let us not let the fallen perish). The unveiling took place on 27 September 2013.

Józef Przybylski "Jeleń"

Józef Przybylski was born in Zduńska Wola on 23 January 1920. During the German occupation he worked in the Armia Krajowa (Home Army) under the pseudonym "Jeleń" (Stag). From April 1946 he organised and commanded the Zduńska Wola district of the Zrzeszenia Wolność i Niezawisłość, using the codename "Z-8". He died in 1950. The monument commemorates him and his subordinates, who continued underground activity alongside him after the end of the war.

Annual observances

At the monument each year on 1 March ceremonies take place marking the National Day of Remembrance of the Cursed Soldiers, attended by city authorities, veterans and residents. This is the principal place where Zduńska Wola pays tribute to soldiers of the independence underground.

Practical information

• Address: intersection of ul. Kościuszki and ul. Złotnickiego, Zduńska Wola (formal address: Złotnickiego 9, 98-220 Zduńska Wola)
• Access: city centre, reachable on foot or by public transport
• What to expect: open-air monument accessible without time restrictions, no admission charge