Tower Gallery: "PANTEON OF REMEMBER - Helena"
date:18 August 2025 Editor: Anna
We invitation you to the exhibition “NOMIERTELNI - Warsaw, August, September 1944” at the Gallery of the Tower of the Parish of the Ascension of the Lord at 101 National Education Commission in Ursynów in Warsaw. The exhibition will be open on 24, 31 August and 7, 8 and 9 September 2025 from 16:00 to 21:00. The beginning is scheduled for 22 August (Friday) at 19:00. The subject of the exhibition is the Warsaw Uprising and the memory of it. The curator of the exhibition is Jerzy Teper, a sculptor artist
At the exhibition Hanna Haska will present 6 of her artwork - "Pantheon of Polish Immortals"
Below is the author's statement.
Our postwar generation are children of those who miraculously survived the bloody process of creating the Pantheon of Polish Immortals. A number of them are Warsaw insurgents. My graphics are based straight on historical references that were part of my family. past has distinguished my household with tragic experiences - these are respective generations forming the past of Warsaw.
Grandpa fought in the conflict of Warsaw (1920). During the business of Warsaw by the Germans 1939 - 1943 he organized the opposition (New City Market). His uncle - Piłsudski's legionary - police officer in fresh Town, was taken to Katyn in the spring of 1940 and shot in Tver by the NKVD.
On the exhibition I present 5 graphics dedicated to the memory of my parent Helena Królikowska from Sobótka. I am giving the title “Pantheon of Memory”. Helena belonged to the young people of the Old Town - musically educated - connected with the Music Conservatory and the Choir at the Jesuit Church (now MB Łaskawa) at ul. Świętjanańska 10 in Warsaw, operating in the years of business 1939-1944. Most of them belonged to the opposition and fought in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising. fewer survived the war. The choir was led by Stanisław Dionyzy Rutkowski - organist, after the Warsaw Conservatory. Helena sang in the choir. They were tied up with concerts together, planning on getting married.
The Bobolanum massacre. On 2 August 1944, in the Jesuit home of Writers (U.S.Rakowice 61), SS soldiers murdered over 40 people - participants of the Holy Mass. They cornered everyone in the basement, threw grenades, then killed them, and yet set fire. Stanislaw played organ, died in a massacre erstwhile he was 26. He rested there under the level of the Martyrs' Crypt, with matrimony papers in his pocket. He's never been exhumed.
Helena - since January 1942, the 19th Girl Scout - of the Emilia Plater Press squad - Grey Privates. She fought in the Warsaw Uprising in the Old Town: a liaison (arm of leaflets) and a paramedic. 31.08.1944, together with her parent - gunned with the civilian population by the safety Printing Works (Sanguszki Street) church of St. Wojciech (Wola) to a transitional camp in Pruszków - Dulag 121.
She was then taken to the German Ravensbrück Concentration Camp. In the camp both imprisoned 4.09.1944 - 25.04.1945 (#63 440, #63 442). Forced labour at Neustadt-Glewe factory, Mecklenburg. She got a typhoid, lay on the perimeter. Saved by doctor Janina of Hungary-Paradetic. On 25 April 1945, thanks to the initiative of number Folke Bernadotte taken by the Swedish Red Cross first transport, with mothers and infants white cars to Denmark, then to Sweden...
She returned to Poland in October 1945. She saved herself from dramatic experiences by cutting them out. She closed her memories: occupation, fighting, camp... She didn't give up. She was concentrating.
on affirmative values. She started a family. Later, she raised 2 children herself. Powerful, active. Full of humor - she fought against adversity with jokes and a trick. She didn't give up.
She survived political changes: punishment for participation in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, separation of families by prisons, emigrations...
It was only after 60 years that I learned by the Association of erstwhile Prisoners of the German Concentration Camps 1939-45 in Canada (unordinary Polonia!) about her stay at KL Ravensbrück. I tried to compose down her memories. I published in the bulletin of the Association of Warsaw Insurgents “Warsaw Uprising” (No. 1(95) 2019). She continued to refuse to callback the tragic - she focused only on affirmative memories... (she found them even in hell KL Ravensbrück).
She completed her education. She worked as elder Counsel in the depths of the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and then, as Head of the Personnel of the State Race Tracks. Until retirement in 1981. She received 6 awards for merit for Warsaw: Silver Cross of Merit (Council of State 1964), Medal of 30th Years of People's Poland (Council of State 1974), Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (Council of State, 1979), Gold Honorary Badge for Merit to Warsaw (National Council of Warsaw, 1980), Auschwitz Cross (State Council of 1988), Veteran Walk badge for independency (Office for Combatants and Repressed Persons, 1995)
Hanna Haska, Art. Grafik, 08.2025.
“PANTEON OF THE POLISH IMMUNITY - Oculus”
Jan Kochanowski “Song V”
Let us give, and let us advance; ourselves
Let's hide the request to be more violent.
The shield than the breasts set first,
It's late.
I present the graphic entitled “Pantheon of Polish Immortals - Oculus”. Looking for a broader mention to the Polish Immortal Pantheon, I took the liberty of quoting Jan Kochanowski “The Song V”. With “Oculus” I mention to the mention of Polish past repeatedly - inactive based on continuous sacrifices. Jan Kochanowski defined this fact in his "Song V" (Second Songs, 16th Century).
Greetings.
Hanna Haska Art. Graphic
Photos for the article :
Photos for the article :
