IPN : We know the names of another 17 identified victims of totalitarianism
date:04 October 2024 Editor: Anna
On 1 October 2024 in Belvedere, Warsaw, we announced the names of 17 people whose remains were found and identified as part of the activities of the Institute of National Memory. The ceremony was attended by: families of identified victims, Secretary of State at the Chancellery of the president of the Republic of Poland Wojciech Kolarski, deputy president of the IPN: Dr. Karol Polejowski, Dr. Mateusz Szpytma and representatives of the authorities and state institutions.
Ewa Garczyńska, the granddaughter of Jan Dzięgielewski, on behalf of the protagonists' families, said that it was a large happiness that those whose identity was restored after so many decades would no longer gotta remainder in nameless graves, and their families would be able to worship them in a dignified way at their destination and celebrate their dedication so that we could live in a free and independent country:
– We thank the Institute of National Memory for the tremendous amount of work and effort put into a tedious process of identifying the remains of the deceased. Thanks besides belong to all past enthusiasts, associations, institutions, people who exhumed and all those who were active in genetic investigation and research. Today's elevated celebration is the culmination of the full process of searching and identifying is highly crucial for the past of Poland as well as for our families, the homeland adds further heroes, and the families have a strong sense of religion that their blood sacrifice has not been for nothing.
The remains of 17 identified persons were found as part of the work of the Office for the Search and recognition of the IPN conducted, among others, in Stary Grodków (the victims of the “Lawin” operation), in the premises of St. Wojciech Cemetery in Łódź (the victim of a crime committed in the German camp for children and young people at Przemysłowa Street) and in the premises of the Brodzieński Cemetery in Warsaw (the victim was murdered at the Karno-Ślędcza Prison Warsaw III, the alleged “Toledo”).
The full number of people identified as part of the activities of the Institute of National Memory reaches 280 names.
Search and recognition works are carried out within the statutory activities of the Institute of National Memory. The Search and recognition Office squad has so far found remains of about 2,600 people in respective 100 locations in the country and abroad. Only in 2023 and 2024 work was carried out at 96 locations uncovering 170 people. Activities were conducted, among others, in the territory of Górek Czechowskie in Lublin, the Military Cemetery in Powązki, Muczne (Bieszczady), Rembertów and many locations in Lithuania (including Kalwaria Wileńska). It is besides crucial to emphasize the beginning of search works in the area of St. Wojciech's cemetery in Łódź, where remains of victims of the German camp for children and youth at Przemysłowa Street were found.
Almost 5,200 samples of genetic material from victims and their families were collected at the IPN Genetic Material Database, allowing for further recognition of found remains. The work of the BPII recognition Division squad is supported by analyses carried out utilizing the CODIS strategy obtained by IPN from the United States national Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
In the video below the figure of 17 people identified by the Office of Search and recognition of IPN.
On site Brodzenski Cemetery in Warsaw..the remains of Joseph Matusik were found.
Joseph Matusik ps. Rudy He was born on 15 February 1925 in Wólka Lubielska in Wyszkowski County. From June 1945, he belonged to local NSZ structures, being a associate of the branch commanded by Jan Malinowski, ps. “Bug”. He was arrested in August 1945 by PUBP officers in Pultusk. By judgement of 5 January 1946, the Military territory Court in Warsaw sentenced him to death penalty, which was executed by execution on 29 January 1946 in the Criminal – Investigative Prison of Warsaw III (Toledo). The remains of Józef Matusik were recovered in April 2017 during the search work conducted by IPN in the 45N office of Brodziński Cemetery in Warsaw.
Sylvettes of all 17 people identified by the IPN Search and recognition Office on the video below .
Film material 1 :
