On April 21, 2024, at 12:00 p.m., a solemn ceremony will mark the 79th anniversary of the death of Colonel Narcyz Wiatr “Zawojny,” a prominent figure in the Polish resistance during World War II. Organized by the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) Branch in Krakow and the Voivode of Lesser Poland, the event will see military honors and the laying of wreaths at the memorial site on Krakow’s Planty, between Dominikańska and Sienna streets.
A Champion of the Peasant Movement
Narcyz Wiatr was born in 1907 in the rural village of Stróże Niżne near Nowy Sącz. After completing law studies in Poznań, he immersed himself in the rural youth movement, becoming involved in various organizations such as the Wielkopolski Association of Rural Youth “Społem” and the Rural Youth Union “Wici.”
Following his studies, Wiatr returned to his homeland and engaged in resistance activities against the German occupation. Using the alias “Zawojny,” he led the Bataliony Chłopskie (Peasant Battalions) in the Nowy Sącz region and later assumed command of the VI District. Despite facing imprisonment and persecution, he remained steadfast in his commitment to defending the rights of peasants and opposing the occupiers.
Tragic End and Unfulfilled Justice
In January 1945, Wiatr was hunted by the communist security forces. Betrayed by a woman seeking her arrested brother, he was assassinated on April 21, 1945, on the Planty in Krakow. Despite investigations, justice eluded Wiatr’s killers for decades, with one being charged only in the 1990s, long after his death in 2003, underscoring the enduring struggle for historical reckoning and remembrance.