Maria Wittek
Encyclopedia
Maria Wittek codename: Mira, Pani Maria (August 16, 1899 in Trębki, village near Gostynin
in Mazowsze, 120km west of Warsaw – April 19, 1997 in Warsaw
, Poland
) was the first Polish
woman to be promoted to Brigadier-General, in 1991 after she had retired. She served in the Polish Army and associated organizations since she was 18 years old. She never married.
in 1915 to avoid being arrested. Maria while in high school joined the Polish scout
troop in Kiev
. Then she became the first woman to become a student in the mathematics department of Kiev University. At the same time she joined P.O.W. - Polish Army Organization- and completed the NCO
training course. In 1919 she joined the Polish army group that was fighting the Bolshevik
s in Ukraine. Then in 1920 as a member of the Women's Volunteers she fought in the battle for Lviv
and was awarded the highest Polish medal Virtuti Militari
for the first time.
- organization training women for military service. In 1935 she was appointed the head of the women's division at the Institute of Physical Education and Military Training in Bielany
, near Warsaw
.
In World War II
During the Invasion of Poland (1939)
she was the commanding officer of the Women's Military Assistance Battalions. In October 1939 she joined the underground ZWZ which later became the Home Army
. She was head of Women's Army Services on the staff of gen Grot-Rowecki
and later gen. Bor-Komorowski. She fought in the Warsaw Uprising
and was promoted to Lt.Colonel. After the capitulation to the she avoided being taken prisoner and left the ruins among the civilians. She continued in her staff position of the Home Army until its dissolution in January 1945.
After Lech Wałęsa
became president, he appointed her Brigadier General
May 2, 1991. Thus she became the first Polish woman to attain the rank of general.
April 19, 2007, on the 10th anniversary of her death, a life-size bronze monument of her was unveiled at the Army Museum in Warsaw.
Gostynin
Gostynin is a town in Central Poland with 19,414 inhabitants . It is situated in the Masovian Voivodship since 1999 and was previously in the Płock Voivodship from 1975 to 1998. It is the capital of Gostynin County.-External links:*...
in Mazowsze, 120km west of Warsaw – April 19, 1997 in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
) was the first Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
woman to be promoted to Brigadier-General, in 1991 after she had retired. She served in the Polish Army and associated organizations since she was 18 years old. She never married.
Early service
Her father, Stanisław Wittek, a carpenter, was a member of the Polish Socialist Party, and moved with his family to UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
in 1915 to avoid being arrested. Maria while in high school joined the Polish scout
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
troop in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
. Then she became the first woman to become a student in the mathematics department of Kiev University. At the same time she joined P.O.W. - Polish Army Organization- and completed the NCO
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
training course. In 1919 she joined the Polish army group that was fighting the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
s in Ukraine. Then in 1920 as a member of the Women's Volunteers she fought in the battle for Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
and was awarded the highest Polish medal Virtuti Militari
Virtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
for the first time.
Between wars
From 1928 to 1934 she was the commander of the Przysposobienie Wojskowe KobietPrzysposobienie Wojskowe Kobiet
Przysposobienie Wojskowe Kobiet was a Polish paramilitary organization for women, which existed in the interbellum period as well as during World War II.-Background:...
- organization training women for military service. In 1935 she was appointed the head of the women's division at the Institute of Physical Education and Military Training in Bielany
Bielany
Bielany is a district in Warsaw located in the north-western part of the city.Initially a part of Żoliborz, Bielany has been an independent district since 1994. Bielany borders Żoliborz to the south-east, and Bemowo to the south-west...
, near Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
.
In World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
During the Invasion of Poland (1939)Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
she was the commanding officer of the Women's Military Assistance Battalions. In October 1939 she joined the underground ZWZ which later became the Home Army
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
. She was head of Women's Army Services on the staff of gen Grot-Rowecki
Grot-Rowecki
The General Grot-Rowecki is a freighter which collided with the French chemical tanker Ece in the English Channel on January 31, 2006.Built in 1985, she was named after Stefan Grot-Rowecki, a Polish general in the Second World War...
and later gen. Bor-Komorowski. She fought in the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
and was promoted to Lt.Colonel. After the capitulation to the she avoided being taken prisoner and left the ruins among the civilians. She continued in her staff position of the Home Army until its dissolution in January 1945.
After the war
When the communist government of Poland reopened the Institute of Physical Education and Military Training, she returned to her previous position of head of the women's division. In 1949 she was arrested and spent several months in prison. After release she worked in a newspaper kiosk. She initiated the establishment of the "Commission for the History of Women".After Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa is a Polish politician, trade-union organizer, and human-rights activist. A charismatic leader, he co-founded Solidarity , the Soviet bloc's first independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, and served as President of Poland between 1990 and 95.Wałęsa was an electrician...
became president, he appointed her Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
May 2, 1991. Thus she became the first Polish woman to attain the rank of general.
April 19, 2007, on the 10th anniversary of her death, a life-size bronze monument of her was unveiled at the Army Museum in Warsaw.
Awards
- Silver Cross of the Virtuti MilitariVirtuti MilitariThe Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
, - twice - Cross of Independence with Swords, (Krzyż Niepodległości)
- Cross of Valour (Krzyż Walecznych)
- Warsaw Cross of the UprisingWarsaw Cross of the UprisingThe Warsaw Cross of the Uprising was a Polish military decoration. It was established by law on July 3, 1981 in order to honor the participants of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. It was discontinued in 1999...
Sources
- Article in Polish newspaper "Rzeczpospolita, May 2, 1997
- Ministry of Defence newsletter April 19 2007 - in Polish