Silesian Insurgents' Monument
The Silesian Insurgents' Monument is a memorial in Katowice, in southern Poland, dedicated to those who took part in the Silesian Uprisings. These three uprisings, in 1919, 1920, and 1921, aimed to bring Upper Silesia into the newly independent Polish state. The monument is located near Powstańców Śląskich Park and the Spodek, a distinctive sports hall that is a city landmark. It was designed by sculptor Kazimierz Gustaw Zemła and architect Wojciech Zabłocki. Its wings symbolize the three uprisings, and the names of places where battles took place are engraved on the monument.
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Identification | |
| Name | Silesian Insurgents' Monument |
| Alternative names | Monument aux insurgés de Silésie; Mémorial des insurgés de Silésie; The Silesian Insurgents Memorial; Denkmal für die schlesischen Aufständischen; Pomnik Powstańców Śląskich w Katowicach; Dynkmal Ślůnskich Powstańcůw |
| Type | Monument |
Historical context | |
| Historical purpose of the uprisings | To incorporate Upper Silesia into the newly independent Polish state |
| Historical background | The first uprising lasted from 16 to 24 August 1919, the second from 19 to 25 August 1920, and the third from 2 May to 5 July 1921 |
| Assessment of the uprisings | Described as successful |
| Commemorated event | The three Silesian Uprisings of 1919, 1920, and 1921 |
Creator | |
| Designer | Kazimierz Gustaw Zemła |
| Architect | Wojciech Zabłocki |
| Design competition | Gustaw Zemła won the competition for the monument's design |
| Artist's view of the work | Zemła said it was his first monument and his "best monument" |
| Artist's stylistic remark | He said he was "obsessed with wings" at the time, because they were both real and symbolic |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Final site | A free open space selected after long discussion, chosen for better display of the monument |
| Heritage listing | Entered in the register of immovable monuments of the Silesian Voivodeship on 19 February 2024 under number A/1348/24 |
| Official naming dispute | General Ziętek prevailed over Marshal Marian Spychalski's proposed name "Monument to the Heroes of the Silesian Uprisings" |
| Bronze casting | Made by Gliwickie Zakłady Urządzeń Technicznych at a foundry in Gliwice; the exact casting location is not specified in the source |
| Foundry location | Gliwice |
| Public support for funding solution | Many residents supported the funding solution because the Silesians had supported the reconstruction of Warsaw |
| Rejected site reason | The square was reserved for a party monument |
| Possible site considered | Feliks Dzierżyński Square (now Plac Sejmu Śląskiego) |
| Built on site of | A grave whose remains were exhumed and transferred elsewhere |
| Foundation stone laid | 3 May 1966, during the celebrations of the millennium of the Polish state |
| Initiator | Voivode Jerzy Ziętek |
| Funding | Construction was expensive and initially difficult to finance; it was ultimately funded by the people of Warsaw through the Capital Reconstruction Fund as a gift to the people of Upper Silesia |
Physical characteristics | |
| Artificial mound | Has a bastion-shaped termination |
| Eternal flame | Burns in the center |
| Has pedestal | No |
| Sculptor inscription | "GUSTAW • ZEMŁA • 1966", placed about half a meter above the ground |
| Form | Three monumental eagle wings rising directly from the ground |
| Total mass | 60 tons |
Materials | |
| Main material | Bronze |
| Surrounding surface | Granite |
Appearance | |
| Nickname | "Wings"; "the colossus" |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Semi-circular wall inscription | "Warszawa Powstańcom Śląskim" |
| Flame surround inscription | Names places in Silesia and World War II battle sites, including Westerplatte, Hel, and Falaise |
| Paving stone inscription | "KATYŃ | 1940 2010" |
| Inscription | The names of places where battles took place were engraved on the vertical slopes; some of these inscriptions were later stolen and restored in 2016 |
| Symbolism | The three wings symbolize the three Silesian Uprisings of 1919–1921 |
| Dedication | Those who took part in the Silesian Uprisings |
Location and ownership | |
| Location | Katowice, southern Poland |
| Specific location | Near Gen. Jerzy Ziętek Roundabout, at the intersection of Aleja Wojciecha Korfantego and Aleja Walentego Roździeńskiego, in Powstańców Śląskich Park, northwest of Katowice city center |
| Nearby landmarks | Spodek sports hall; KTW high-rises (formerly the DOKP high-rise) |
| Regional location name | Kattowitz |
| Role in city | One of the landmarks and symbols of Katowice |
History and restoration | |
| Unveiling date | 1 September 1967 |
| Stamp issue | Poczta Polska issued a 60 groszy stamp depicting the monument on 21 July 1967; designed by Ryszard Dudzicki |
| Inscription loss | The place-name inscriptions were stolen during 2004–2005, during expansion of nearby roads and reconstruction of the roundabout |
| Inscription restoration | The inscriptions were restored in 2016, mainly thanks to residents' interventions |
Other | |
| Photographic captions | Images show the monument in daylight and at night, with Spodek in the background, and details of a date and a place |
| Park surroundings | Some trees from the former manor of the Tiele-Winckler family still stand to the south and east in the park |