4859, Who knows his name?

Hello and Welcome. Today we have a dark story to tell. A story of heroism and tragedy, a fight for survival of an entire nation embodied by one man, Witold Pilecki.

Pilecki’s story is told in the song “Inmate 4859”. Witold Pilecki was a polish army and intelligence officer who participated in the Polish-Soviet War and WWII.

During the German Invasion of Poland, Pilecki’s unit had been shattered by the advance of the Wehrmacht. He regrouped with the stragglers and continued to fight until Warsaw fell. After that he joined the Secret Polish Army, a part of the Armia Krajowa.

He would soon come up with an idea that many would call a “suicide mission”. Witold’s task being to infiltrate the concentration camp Auschwitz. He would intentionally get himself caught in a German security sweep, soon after he is sent to Auschwitz. The experience of which he would immortalize in “Pilecki’s Report”.

In the camp Witold would witness horror that would shake him to the core, making him question the true nature of humanity. Pilecki would be the first person to report about the Nazi concentration camps.

After 2 and a half years of fighting a war from prison Witold would escape the camp, his information network being dispersed. He proceeds to turn in his report to the polish resistance, take part in the Warsaw uprising and later the Allied invasion of Italy.

After the end of the war Witold would continue serving the Polish Government-in-Exile, returning to Poland as a secret agent. He would get caught in 1947, judged by a sham jury and the next year, executed by the Polish Communists.

During the communist regime in Poland, Pilecki’s Legacy is wiped out of history and forgotten. In 1991 his trial is declared illegal by the new democratic government and he himself is celebrated as a Polish hero and patriot, embodying the polish struggle for existence. A true example of heroism, bravery and devotion to a cause. His Legacy forever remembered in the song “Inmate 4859”.