Witold Pilecki - The Man Who Volunteered for Auschwitz

Witold Pilecki was a Polish resistance fighter who voluntarily entered Auschwitz to report on Nazi crimes and organize secret resistance inside the camp.

Witold Pilecki (pronounced Vitold Piletski) was one of the bravest men of the 20th century. Born on May 13, 1901, in Olonets, a town in the Russian Empire, he grew up in a patriotic Polish Catholic family. His grandfather had fought against Russian rule, and even though his family lived in exile, they spoke Polish at home and held tightly to their traditions. From a young age, Witold learned to love his homeland and dream of its freedom.

As a boy, he joined the Polish scouting movement, which was illegal under Russian rule. Scouting taught him discipline, leadership, and responsibility. By the time World War I ended in 1918, Witold was already taking part in daring missions, helping secure weapons for the reborn Polish army. When Poland regained independence that same year, Witold was among the young men fighting to defend it.

He continued his service during the Polish-Bolshevik War of 1920, serving both in the infantry and cavalry. After the war, Witold hoped to attend university but instead managed the family’s small estate because of financial struggles. He improved the farm, started a dairy, and even organized a volunteer fire brigade. In 1931, he married Maria Ostrowska, a schoolteacher, and together they had two children, Andrzej and Zofia. Witold also loved painting and writing poetry. For a time, it seemed like he would live a peaceful life.

That peace ended in September 1939, when Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland. Witold fought as a cavalry officer, but Poland was soon conquered. He refused to surrender and instead helped form the Secret Polish Army, one of the first underground resistance groups in Warsaw. It was during this time that he accepted what became one of the most dangerous missions of World War II.

In 1940, the Germans began sending prisoners to a new camp in the Polish town of Oświęcim, later known as Auschwitz. Rumors spread of terrible crimes, but little was known outside the camp. Pilecki volunteered to be arrested and sent there so he could gather intelligence and organize resistance. On September 19, 1940, during a German roundup, he allowed himself to be captured. Using false papers under the name Tomasz Serafiński, he was sent to Auschwitz and became prisoner number 4859.

Inside the camp, Pilecki saw starvation, cruelty, and mass killings. Despite the danger, he built a secret resistance network called the Union of Military Organization. His group smuggled food, shared news to keep prisoners’ spirits alive, and even built a hidden radio transmitter. Through this, they sent reports to the Polish underground and eventually to the Allies. His early messages in 1941 described gas experiments, sterilization of prisoners, and the growing murder of Jews in gas chambers. These reports became some of the first eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust.

Pilecki endured two and a half years of hunger, disease, and violence before finally escaping in April 1943 with two other prisoners. The men traveled over 100 kilometers on foot to reach safety. Once free, Pilecki wrote a detailed report about Auschwitz, which later became known as Witold’s Report. He continued to fight, joining the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, but was captured and held as a prisoner of war until Germany’s defeat.

After the war, Poland fell under Soviet control. Many hoped Pilecki would finally live in peace, but he believed his country was still not free. He returned secretly to Warsaw to gather intelligence on the communist regime. In 1947, he was arrested, tortured, and falsely accused of spying. His trial was unfair, and despite pleas for mercy, he was executed on May 25, 1948, with a shot to the back of the head. His burial place remains unknown.

For more than 40 years, Pilecki’s story was hidden by the communist government. Finally, in 1990, he was cleared of all charges and recognized as a national hero. In later years, he received Poland’s highest honors, including the Order of the White Eagle.

Witold Pilecki remains the only person known to have voluntarily entered Auschwitz. He risked everything to expose the truth about the Holocaust and continued to fight for Poland’s freedom until the very end. His courage, sacrifice, and determination make him one of the greatest heroes of World War II.

References:
“The Daring Polish Resistance Fighter Who Volunteered to Be Sent to Auschwitz so He Could Sabotage the Nazi Death Camp from the Inside.” Smithsonian Magazine, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-daring-polish-resistance-fighter-who-volunteered-to-be-sent-to-auschwitz-so-he-could-sabotage-the-nazi-death-camp-from-the-inside-180986559/.
“Story of Witold Pilecki, Co-Founder of Resistance in Auschwitz.” Memorial and Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau, www.auschwitz.org/en/education/e-learning/podcast/story-of-witold-pilecki-co-founder-of-resistance-in-auschwitz/.
“Witold Pilecki.” Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, 25 Aug. 2021, hmd.org.uk/resource/witold-pilecki/.

Key words:
Justice, Wartime, Courage, Perseverance, Freedom, Responsibility, Challenge Injustices, Stand Up for Your Beliefs

View Discovery Award projects about this Unsung Hero:
‍Witold Pilecki - Discovery Award 2017

Image Citation:
Public Domain