1st Armoured Division Memorial

The 1st Armoured Division Memorial is a monument in Warsaw, Poland, located at the Disabled People Square, near Wojska Polskiego Avenue. It is dedicated to the 1st Armoured Division of the Polish Armed Forces, that fought in the Second World War. The monument was designed by sculptor Jerzy Sikorski and architect Andrzej Kiciński, and unveiled on 30 September 1995.

History

The monument dedicated to the 1st Armoured Division was designed by sculptor Jerzy Sikorski and architect Andrzej Kiciński. It was financed by 40 cities and towns in Belgium, France, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, and by the war veterans. The monument was unveiled on 30 September 1995, in the Disabled People Square in Warsaw, near Wojska Polskiego Avenue.

Characteristics

Monument is dedicated the 1st Armoured Division of the Polish Armed Forces, that fought in the Second World War, and is placed at the Disabled People Square, near Wojska Polskiego Avenue. It consists of a column with a sculpture of an eagle with spread wings mounted at the 1/3 of its height. On its top is also placed a sculpture that includes a helmet and wings of a Polish hussar, which are the symbols from the emblem of the 1st Armoured Division. It also includes a sculpture of a tank treadmill wrapped around the top of a column.

The pedestal of the monument includes following inscriptions and illustrations:

• on the front: inscription that says: "W hołdzie żołnierzom I Dywizji Pancernej poległym na polach bitew Polski, Francji, Belgii, Holandii i Niemiec. Miasta Zachodniej Europy, koledzy z wojny 1939-1945, rodacy, and translates from Polish to "In honour to the soldiers of the 1st Armoured Division killed on the battlefields of Poland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Cities of Western Europe, colleagues from the war of 1939–1945, bretheren, and a map of Europe depicting the timeline of division's travel;
• on the right side: coat of arms of Belgium and the Netherlands, and below, the coat of arms and names of the financing entities; including from Belgium: Ghent, Sint-Niklaas, Beveren, Maldegem, Aalter, Ypres, Poperinge, Beerse, Lokeren, Roeselare, Willebroek, Stekene, and Tielt; and from the Netherlands: North Brabant, Breda, Nieuw-Ginneken, Geertruidenberg, Axel, Hulst, Alphen en Riel, Baarle-Nassau, Gilze en Rijen, Oosterhout, Zevenbergen, Hontenisse, Vogelwaarde, Teteringen, Reiderland, Terheijden, Terneuzen, and Zaamslag;
• on the back: inscriptions in POL and English that read respectively: "Å»ołnierz polski walczy o wolność wszystkich narodów, ale umiera tylko dla Polski" and "The Polish soldier fights for freedom of other nations, but dies only for Poland", with the earlier also citing the author of the quote as "gen. Stanisław Maczek, dowódca I Dywizji Pancernej" (General Stanisław Maczek, commander of the 1st Armoured Division);
• and on the left side: coat of arms of the United Kingdom and Frances, and below, the coat of arms and names of the financing entities, including from the United Kingdom: Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth, Bridlington, Duns; and from France: Orne, Mont-Ormel, "Maczuga", Chambois, Vimoutiers, Criquebeuf-sur-Seine, Saint-Omer, Abbeville, and Caen.

Gallery

See also

• General Stanisław Sosabowski Monument, another World War II memorial monument located nearby

Notes

References

External links