Monument to the Second Polish Army
On a small rise in the centre of Boguszyce stands a monument commemorating the soldiers of the 1st Armoured Corps of the Second Polish Army, who were stationed in Boguszyce and the surrounding localities from 24 March to 8 April 1945.
During this period, the units were preparing for their further advance westward, towards the Lusatian Neisse, where they were to take part in the final operations of the Second World War.
A trace of the wartime route
For many years, the monument was an important place of remembrance for the local community. The history of the obelisk was not an easy one, however — its bronze elements were repeatedly stolen or damaged by acts of vandalism.
Thanks to the involvement of local residents, history enthusiasts from the Skorpion Squadron and the Oleśnica Municipality, the monument was restored and regained an appearance close to its original form.
Today it recalls not only the events of the spring of 1945, but also the people who passed through Boguszyce during the final weeks of the war.
History written in stone
The monument’s present appearance is the result of restoration work carried out in recent years. The historic eagle and the wording of the plaque were reconstructed on the basis of surviving conservation documentation and archival photographs.
The obelisk belongs to a group of similar monuments erected in Lower Silesia to commemorate the combat route of the Second Polish Army. Comparable monuments can also be found in several other localities in the region.
Inscription on the monument
SZLAK 2 ARMII
WOJSKA POLSKIEGO
ODDZIAŁY 1 KORPUSU
PANCERNEGO
OD 24 03 DO 8 04 1945
STACJONOWAŁY
W BOGUSZYCACH I OKOLICZNYCH
MIEJSCOWOŚCIACH
The inscription is reproduced in its original form, exactly as it appears on the plaque on the obelisk.
Designer of the obelisks
Leon Podsiadły — sculptor, painter and draughtsman. He was born in 1932 in Drocourt, France. From 1952 to 1956 he studied at the State Higher School of Fine Arts in Wrocław, and in 1958 received a diploma in sculpture under Borys Michałowski.
He was a professor at art schools in Conakry, Wrocław and Opole. He served as head of the Department of Sculpture and dean of the Faculty of Painting, Graphic Arts and Sculpture at the State Higher School of Fine Arts in Wrocław. He belonged to the Wrocław Group and took part in numerous exhibitions in Poland and abroad.
He created many works in public space, including the monument to Nicolaus Copernicus in Wrocław, the Monument to the Route of the Second Polish Army in Trzebnica, the monument to the murdered prisoners of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp in Pietrzykowice, and the sundial in front of the Wrocław Aquapark.
Sources and materials
This page was prepared using information from publicly available historical materials and studies. The content was written and edited specifically for the Boguszyczanie project.