Monument to the Silesian Insurgents in Świętochłowice

The Monument to the Silesian Insurgents stands in the Piaśniki district of Świętochłowice, on Bytomska Street, in Heiloo Park. It commemorates nine participants of the First Silesian Uprising who were shot in August 1919.

Whom it commemorates

The original monument was unveiled in 1937. It was a slender four-metre obelisk on a two-stage square plinth, surrounded by concrete posts linked with chains. It commemorated nine insurgents executed between 18 and 20 August 1919 by Grenzschutz units: Paweł Biernot, Ludwik Drobik, Ryszard Gryszczyk, Robert Halacz, Wincenty Lip, Feliks Sekuła, Ludwik Sowa, Wojciech Syska and Wiktor Szopa.

Destruction and rebuilding

In September 1939 the monument was demolished. In the 1970s the Świętochłowice branch of ZBoWiD (the Union of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy) rebuilt it in a new form: as an upright granite slab rounded at the top, with an iron plaque bearing an inscription. In the early 21st century the iron plaque was replaced with a stone one.

Practical information

• The monument stands in a public park and is accessible without restrictions.
• The history of the Silesian Uprisings is presented by the Silesian Uprisings Museum in Świętochłowice, about 2 km away.