27 January marks the 81st anniversary of the liberation of prisoners from the German Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. It is a day of deep contemplation and reflection on the unimaginable suffering and death of millions of people, among whom were also those connected with Polish aviation.
This is a day on which we pause to remember the suffering of millions of people who were sent to the Oświęcim camp. We pay tribute to those who perished in the inferno of Auschwitz and to those who survived, bearing unimaginable trauma for the rest of their lives. Among them were also representatives of Polish aviation and aeronautical engineering.
Those who perished in the camp included:
However, Antoni Kocjan survived the camp’s inferno — one of the most outstanding Polish glider designers of the interwar period. He was the designer of many acclaimed gliders that gained recognition on the international stage, such as the “Czajka”, the “Orlik” and the “Wrona”. Arrested in June 1940, he was sent to the concentration camp, where he received the number 4267. He was released in August 1941 thanks to the intervention of German professor Georg Brand. After returning to Warsaw, he immediately joined the underground — he headed AK (Home Army) intelligence on the V-1 and V-2 rockets, passing invaluable information to the Allies.
The Polish Aviation Museum preserves with respect and pride exceptional memorabilia of Antoni Kocjan from his period of imprisonment in Auschwitz, including letters written to his wife and his camp release document.
We wrote more about Antoni Kocjan, the memorabilia associated with him and their restoration HERE.
