Witold Pilecki

Profession: Polish Resistance Fighter

Nationality:

Biography: Considered one of the greatest wartime heroes, Pilecki founded one of the first Polish resistance movements against the Nazi occupation.

He volunteered in 1940 to be imprisoned in Auschwitz, where he gathered some of the first information about the Holocaust, passing it on to the Western Allies. In 1943 he made a daring escape, rejoined the Polish Home Army, and took part in the Warsaw Uprising.

After the war he remained loyal to the London-based Polish government-in-exile. In 1948 he was executed by the communist authorities in Poland.

Born: May 13, 1901
Birthplace: Olonets, Russian Empire

Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Ox
Star Sign: Taurus

Died: May 25, 1948 (aged 47)
Cause of Death: Executed after a show trial

Historical Events

1940-09-19 Witold Pilecki is voluntarily captured and sent to Auschwitz in order to smuggle out information and start a resistance
1942-12-10 An early report of the Holocaust prepared by the Polish government-in-exile, using information obtained by Witold Pilecki, is addressed to UN member states
1943-04-27 Witold Pilecki escapes from Auschwitz after having voluntarily been imprisoned there to gain information about the Holocaust
1947-05-08 Polish resistance fighter Witold Pilecki, who had volunteered to be imprisoned in Auschwitz to gain information about the Holocaust, is arrested by Polish communist police
1948-05-25 Polish war hero Witold Pilecki is executed by communist police after a show trial in Warsaw