On Tuesday, at the parish cemetery in Górki Wielkie in Cieszynsk Silesia, the 4 Non-violent Soldiers rested: the brothers Leopold and Józef Danec, Roman Bączek and Ludwik Kłusko. Representatives of state authorities, clergy, IPN and residents of the region attended the ceremony ceremony.
On behalf of the Institute of National Memory, his vice-president, Dr. Karol Polejowski, spoke. He stressed that the Polish State was fulfilling its work to its soldiers:
“The oath they made decades ago swears to God and to their country was fulfilled. And the Polish state fulfills its duty, which is worthy of the state burial of faithful soldiers of the Republic.” “the vice president of IPN said.
He recalled that all 4 heroes died at an early age — between 23 and 29 years old. Their youth was taken from them by the German occupation, then Soviet.
“Every 1 of them had their dreams, no of them wanted to die. But the dreams they had wanted to realize only in the free independent Republic, not in what the Soviets and local traitors called Poland after 1945. This is not the country they fought for, not the country they swore an oath for.” “Polejowski said.
He pointed out that the communist authorities wanted to erase them from historical memory:
“The murdered, thrown into the pits of death, were to be forgotten. But this did not happen due to the fact that the memory of them continued in the families, the loved ones, who waited for their return and did not wait until today." He stressed.
In strong words he referred to the propaganda of the PRL period:
“They were culled, they were called the worst names. And it was done by traitors – those who introduced communist panic in Poland. They cursed Polish heroes, soldiers of the Polish Army who served in the ranks of the National Armed Forces under Captain Henry Flame “Bartek”.
He besides added that the values for which they died stay the same today:
"If we want to mention to the fundamental values and build on them the future of our homeland, these are precisely the same values that were represented by the soldiers of Captain Bartka. Poland is to be free and independent. And heroes must be called heroes, and traitors must be traitors.”
Vice-President of the Institute reminded that for 25 years the institute has been pursuing a mission to reconstruct the memory of victims of totalitarianism:
“It is our work to find them, identify them, give them to families and bury them decently – as they deserve as soldiers of the Polish Army.”
During the mourning mass the word was besides addressed by Father Ignacy Winiarski, parish priest of St. John Sarkandra. He highlighted the spiritual dimension of today's celebration:
"The works of the Institute of National Memory, as well as others active in restoring good memory of the “soldiers cursed”, are a confirmation that God recognized them as worthy of himself. And today's ceremony is simply a confirmation that they are posthumously restored to dignity, good memory, and hope.”
Wojciech Gruszczyk, a comparative of the Donor brothers, spoke on behalf of the families. He recalled that soldiers were murdered only due to the fact that they wanted to live in a free country.
“The sons of this land were treacherously murdered due to the fact that they wanted to live in a free and sovereign country. They thank us for appreciating their struggle, martyrdom and death for their homeland. They call for memory so that their deaths do not go to waste.”
Gruszczyk besides called for dignity and respect for their memory:
“Let us not insult them, demean them. Let us repeat at all step that they are our heroes – for many years forgotten, but not by those gathered here. They have always been present in our hearts.”
Who were the soldiers buried?
Leopold Danec, ps. “Leszek” and Józef Danec, ps. “Jastrząb” were soldiers of the “Share” Forest Branch, operating in the structures of the NSZ Group under the command of Captain Henry Flamego, ps. “Bartek”. Both were murdered by UB in September 1946. Their remains were subsequently recovered in 2012 and 2016 in Opole. Roman Bączek, from the large Mountains, besides served in the “Bartka” branches. He died in the same operation of the Avalanche in 1946. His remains were identified in spring 2016. Louis Kłuszko ps. "Wigura", born in Kaczyce, after returning from Gross-Rosen concentration camp, joined the conspiracy. Arrested after fighting UB, he was sentenced to death and shot in November 1946. His remains were found at Rakowicki Cemetery in 2022.
In Górki Wielkie we said goodbye to the brothers of the late Leopold and Józef Danków, the late Roman Bączek and the late Louis Kłuski, whose remains were found during the search works conducted by @IPN Searches. pic.twitter.com/ntVinaJun8
— Institute of National Memory (@ipngovpl) July 29, 2025
