Henryk Sławik and József Antall Monument Unveiled in Warsaw

Mateusz Szczepaniak, 23 November 2016
Henryk Sławik and József Antall Senior, heroes of Poland, Hungary and Israel, Righteous Among the Nations, have been honoured in Warsaw. A monument, a sculpture by Władysław Dudek, was unveiled on 8th November 2016 by Warsaw Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz and Budapest Deputy Mayor István Tarlós. The sculpture shows our heroes sitting at a table, deep in conspiratorial conversation. An identical monument will be unveiled in Budapest in the spring of 2017.

"Their outlook, based upon an aspiration for freedom and a respect for human dignity, is something worth promoting", said Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Watlz. "Europe is subjected to many aggressive acts, especially towards refugeee. May this monument remind us all of these heroes who, despite the danger, never wavered in selflessly helping others".

The event was under the patronage of the Polish President Andrzej Duda. Amongst those who took part were Speaker of the Sejm Marek Kuchciński, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and National Heritage Piotr Gliński, Hungarian Ambassador Ivan Gyurcsik, Archbishop of Warsaw Kazimierz Nycz, Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich, together with veterans and family members of the heroes.

The monument was erected at the initiative of Grzegorz Łubczyk, former Polish Ambassador to Hungary and Vice-President of the Henryk Sławik – Pamięć i Dzieło Association. The monument is located in Dolina Szwajcarska, the square in front of the Hungarian Embassy, close to the Royal Route. The unveiling ceremony was organised by the Office of Veterans Affairs, the Communal Committee for the Erection of Monuments in Warsaw and Budapest, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, together with the City of Warsaw.

Over the past few years, the memory of Henryk Sławik's and József Antall's heroic deeds has been revived in both Poland and Hungary. In March 2015, a monument dedicated to them was unveiled in Katowice by the then President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski and Hungarian President János Áder. Several months later, the square surrounding that monument was named in their honour. In September 2015, Sławik became patron of the IPN Education Centre "Przystanek Historia” in Katowice and also of the Donau River wharves in Budapest.

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Following the outbreak of World War II, Henryk Sławik (1894-1944) reached Hungary through Rumania. There, he became President of the Civic Committee for the Care of Polish Refugees and also became one of the representatives of the Polish Government-in-Exile. Together with József Antall Senior (1896-1974), an employee of the Hungarian Ministry of Internal Affairs and others, he organised help for Polish refugees who had arrived in Hungary following the September invasion. Together, they issued false documents which saved lives, especially the lives of Polish Jews. It is estimated that they aided around 30,000 Polish refugees, amongst them 5,000 Jews. Both men have been honoured with the title of Righteous Among the Nations.

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