Celebrations to commemorate
100th anniversary of Ryszard Siwiec birth
On 7th March 2009 in Dębica celebrations to
commemorate 100th anniversary of Ryszard Siwiec birth took place. Ryszard Siwiec (1909-1968) was a Polish freedom fighter.
He was a Polish
accountant and teacher, the first person to commit a suicide by
self-immolation in protest against the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. He set himself
ablaze in Warsaw during a national harvest festival on September 8th, 1968 at the Dziesięciolecia
Stadium.
During the celebration a commemorative plaque was
unveiled on the building of Miejskie
Gimnazjum nr 1 in Dębicy, the school which Siwiec had attended.
Ryszard Siwiec is considered to be a national hero of
Czech Republic and Slovak Republic, that’s why in the celebrations
participated: Peter Spisiak – deputy ambassador of Slovak Republic, Jan Tomasek
– deputy ambassador of Czech Republic, Andrzej Duda – representative of the
President’s Office, senators, members of parliament and many others.
In the Municipal
Council in Dębica a conference titled “Listen to my scream!” was held
where both Polish and Czech historians gave lectures.
In Regional
Museum in Debica an exhibition commemorating Ryszard Siwiec and his spectacular
act was put on. The exhibition was titled “Scream of an ordinary man”. It was
prepared in collaboration with Instytut Pamięci Narodowej (Institut of
National Remembrance), branch in Rzeszów. Among other things, it presented a
letter written by Ryszard Siwiec to his wife and children during his last trip
to Warsaw. The family got the letter twenty years later.
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