“Memory is fundamental—it is what creates communities,” said Jarosław Kaczyński in Starachowice during ceremonies dedicated to Jadwiga Kaczyńska. On the eve of the 13th anniversary of her death, a Holy Mass was celebrated in the hometown of the Honorary Citizen of Starachowice, followed by the laying of flowers at commemorative plaques.
On the eve of the 13th anniversary of Jadwiga Kaczyńska’s death, a Holy Mass in her intention was held at the Church of All Saints. As every year, the ceremony was attended by her son, Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of Law and Justice (PiS). Also present were PiS parliamentarians, including Agata Wojtyszek, Krzysztof Lipiec, Anna Krupka, and Mariusz Gosek, as well as numerous party activists and local residents.
After the Mass, Jarosław Kaczyński addressed the gathering, emphasizing the importance of historical memory.
“Memory is fundamental—it is what creates communities: local ones and the greatest of all, the Polish community. The memory of specific individuals becomes part of the memory of places, cities, and generations,” he said. He also thanked those present for the ceremony commemorating his late mother, his late brother Lech Kaczyński, the late Prime Minister Przemysław Gosiewski, and all the victims of the Smolensk catastrophe.
The PiS leader drew attention to the significance of the generation to which Jadwiga Kaczyńska belonged.
“The generation to which my mother belonged carried Poland through an immensely difficult period—from 1939 to 1989. Throughout that time, Poland was not free, and Poles could not live as a proud nation of Europe,” he stressed, adding that remembering those who, during and after the war, sustained the spirit of the nation and faith in a free Poland remains a duty today as well.
In his remarks, he also referred to the present day.
“History has already given us nearly 37 years of freedom, but we must realize that today it is once again under threat—from various directions. The life stories of people such as the late Jadwiga Kaczyńska, the late Lech Kaczyński, and the late Przemysław Gosiewski oblige us to oppose the process of stripping away freedoms: national freedom, personal freedom, and freedom of speech. Poland must remain a country of free people,” he said.
In the square in front of the church, wreaths were laid beneath commemorative plaques dedicated to Jadwiga Kaczyńska, Lech and Maria Kaczyński, and Przemysław Gosiewski.
Jadwiga Kaczyńska, née Jasiewicz, was born on December 31, 1926, in Starachowice. Although she moved to Warsaw shortly after her birth, she returned to her hometown in 1933 and remained there until the end of World War II. Her father worked as an engineer at the Starachowice Works, and she herself graduated from the Tadeusz Kościuszko First General Secondary School.
During the German occupation, she was involved in underground scouting activities. She served in the Gray Ranks under the pseudonym “Bratek,” acting as a medic. After passing her final exams, she left for Warsaw to pursue her studies. She died on January 17, 2013, in the capital.
To this day, she holds a special place in the history of Starachowice. The local National Memory Pantheon features plaques dedicated to Jadwiga Kaczyńska—an Honorary Citizen of the city and the patron of one of its streets—as well as to members of her family, the victims of the Smolensk catastrophe, and scouts of the Gray Ranks. Among those commemorated is also the name of Jadwiga Jasiewicz, associated with the underground scouting movement during the occupation.