Karol Szwedowski

Karol Szwedowski (1878–1941) was a Polish master builder who worked at Westerplatte and defended it when Poland was invaded by Germany in 1939.

Early life and career

Karol Szwedowski was born October 4, 1878, in Chrząstowo (now part of Koniecpol),[1] the son of Jozefa and Jacenty Szwedowski. On December 13, 1927, at the age of 38, he received his master builder diploma and was accepted to the Craftsmen's Guild of the city of Pułtusk. On April 4, 1934, he arrived in Gdańsk from Legionowo.^[citation needed] He was hired as a seasonal contract worker by the Military Transit Depot of Westerplatte, where he worked until 1939.[1]

Battle of Westerplatte

During the Battle of Westerplatte on September 1–7, 1939, Szwedowski was called on as a civilian defender and assisted wounded soldiers. After the battle, Szwedowski was arrested by the Germans and imprisoned in Stutthof concentration camp, and later at Buchenwald.[2]

Death

He died after his release in at home in Legionowo on August 30, 1941,[a] shortly after the deaths of his two sons, Ryszard in the Palmiry massacre in 1940 and Karol in Auschwitz in 1941.[3]

Media

Szwedowski is mentioned in the book Westerplatte published by Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej (the Publishing House of the Ministry of National Defense) in Warsaw in 1978. He was portrayed by Bolesław Płotnicki in the 1967 feature film Westerplatte directed by Stanisław Rozewicz, and in the 2013 Polish film Tajemnica Westerplatte ("The Secret of Westerplatte"), he was played by Romuald Kłos.

Notes

1. based on the record books of the General Governorship in Legionowo (document number 105 of the year 1941). The death certificate states that Karol Szwedowski, son of Jacenty (father) and Jozefa (mother), died in Legionowo at on August 30, 1941, at the age of 52.

References

1. "Karol Szwedowski – najstarszy Westerplatczyk". legionowo.pl (in Polish).
2. "Legionowo. Karol Szwedowski, najstarszy cywilny obrońca Westerplatte ma swoją tablicę pamiątkową. Uroczystości jej odsłonięcia odbędą się na cmentarzu parafialnym - Gazeta Powiatowa". gazetapowiatowa.pl (in Polish). 9 September 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
3. Warszawa, Instytut Pamięci Narodowej-. "Uroczyste odsłonięcie tablicy poświęconej Karolowi Szwedowskiemu – uczestnikowi obrony Westerplatte – Legionowo, 12 września 2022". Instytut Pamięci Narodowej - Warszawa (in Polish). Retrieved 15 April 2024.