UNVEILING
OF THE RESTORED GRAVE
OF LEGIONNAIRE
IZYDOR HIRSCH
Jewish Museum in Oświęcim
Hirsch’s gravestone features two unique symbols—a crowned eagle and the Star of David—reflecting his dual Polish-Jewish identity.
During the ceremony, Tomasz Kuncewicz, Director of the Jewish Museum in Oświęcim, emphasized the symbolic significance of restoring Hirsch’s memory:
"Today, we unveil the grave of a legionnaire, a patriot, a Jew, and a Pole. We restore the memory of a man whose life affirmed that Polishness is not a matter of origin, but a choice of the heart. Antisemitism and all forms of hatred are anti-Polish, for they dishonor the memory of those who fought for a free Poland."
The Director also quoted Julian Tuwim:
"I am a Pole because I choose to be. (…) I do not divide Poles into native and non-native—I leave that to racists, both native and foreign Hitlerites."
Among the distinguished guests were: Sandra Heiskanen, Deputy Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kraków, Janusz Chwierut, Mayor of Oświęcim, Teresa Jankowska, Deputy Starosta of Oświęcim County and Dorota Wiewióra, Chairwoman of the Jewish Community in Bielsko-Biała.
The ceremony concluded with a prayer led by Dr. Sławomir Pastuszka of the Jewish Community in Katowice, followed by the symbolic placement of stones and flowers at the legionnaire’s grave. The event closed with a guided tour of the Jewish cemetery, led by Dr. Artur Szyndler, curator of the Jewish Museum and co-author of a publication on this necropolis, who shared stories of other distinguished Jewish residents of Oświęcim.
The conservation and renovation of Hirsch’s gravestone were made possible through the financial support of numerous institutions and donors, including: The Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kraków, The City of Oświęcim, Oświęcim County, The Auschwitz-Birkenau Death Camp Victims Memorial Foundation, What Matters. gGmbH, and private and community donors from Poland and abroad.
Oświęcim, November 11, 2025 – On Poland’s National Independence Day, a solemn ceremony was held at the Jewish Cemetery in Oświęcim to unveil the restored grave of Icchak Izydor Hirsch—a Polish legionnaire, patriot, Jew, and Pole. The event, organized by the Jewish Museum in Oświęcim, honored the memory of this young resident of Oświęcim, who served in the Polish Legions, the formation that played a pivotal role in Poland’s restoration of independence in 1918.
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