Monument to the Kaniów Riflemen

The monument on ulica generała Władysława Andersa in Sieradz commemorates soldiers of the 31st Kaniów Rifle Regiment, who in September 1939 defended a bridgehead on the Warta and fought in the area around Sieradz. It stands in a public square in the city centre, which has been recently modernised.

Origins of the 31st Kaniów Rifle Regiment

The regiment was established on 14 July 1919 from the merger of the 31st Włocławek Rifle Regiment and the 15th Rifle Regiment of the 4th Rifle Division, formed under the command of General Lucjan Żeligowski. It officially received the name Kaniów Riflemen on 26 August 1919. From 19 October 1935 it was stationed in Sieradz, and its second battalion arrived in the city in 1937.

Defence of Sieradz in September 1939

In the first days of the September campaign, from 4 to 5 September 1939, the regiment under the command of General Franciszek Dindorf-Ankowicz defended the Sieradz bridgehead on the Warta, occupying positions on the far side of the river. On 11 September 1939, soldiers of the 31st Kaniów Rifle Regiment destroyed a German motorised column near Mszczanów. For participation in the 1939 campaign, the regiment was decorated with the Order Virtuti Militari.

History of the monument itself

The site where the monument now stands originally commemorated the fortieth anniversary of the unification of the Polish Workers Party and the Polish Socialist Party. After the system transformation, the old plaque was replaced with a new one, dedicated to soldiers of the 31st Kaniów Rifle Regiment. In 2025 the area around the monument underwent modernisation as part of the construction of a small pocket park, with new paving and lighting that underscores the character of this place of remembrance.

Location in the city centre

Ulica generała Władysława Andersa, where the monument stands, is one of the main traffic routes through Sieradz city centre. The proximity of the recently modernised square means the monument today functions both as a place of remembrance and as an element of everyday urban space, which residents pass through daily. The new lighting and paving from 2025 were intended to emphasise this role, without changing the character of the memorial itself.

Practical information

• Address: ulica generała Władysława Andersa 7, Sieradz.
• Getting there: the monument stands on one of the main streets of Sieradz, within walking distance of the city centre, and is also accessible by public transport.
• The monument, as a public space element, is accessible without time restrictions.
• What to expect: a monument on a recently modernised square, without plaques bearing the date of creation or the author's name.
• Thematically related: the Memorial Room of the 28th Kaniów Rifle Regiment in Łódź, dedicated to another unit bearing the same name Kaniów Riflemen.