Witold Pilecki

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Witold Pilecki


Born
in Karelia, Russian Federation
May 13, 1901


During World War I, in 1918, Pilecki joined a ZHP Scout section of the Polish self-defense units under General Władysław Wejtko in the Wilno area. When his sector of the front was overrun by the Bolsheviks, his unit for a time conducted partisan warfare behind enemy lines. Pilecki then joined the regular Polish Army and took part in the Polish-Soviet War of 1919–1920, serving under Major Jerzy Dąbrowski. He fought in the Polish retreat from Kiev as part of a cavalry unit defending Grodno (in present-day Belarus). On 5 August 1920, he joined the 211th Uhlan Regiment and fought in the crucial Battle of Warsaw and at Rudniki Forest (Puszcza Rudnicka) and took part in the liberation of Wilno.He was twice awarded the Krzyż Walecznych (Cross of V ...more

Average rating: 4.31 · 1,125 ratings · 146 reviews · 3 distinct worksSimilar authors
The Auschwitz Volunteer: Be...

4.31 avg rating — 1,110 ratings — published 1945 — 3 editions
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Stories for Kids Who Dare t...

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4.25 avg rating — 371 ratings — published 2019 — 18 editions
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Rotmistrz Pilecki. Raporty ...

4.13 avg rating — 8 ratings
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Quotes by Witold Pilecki  (?)
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“A man fighting for his life can do more than he ever imagined he could.”
Witold Pilecki, The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery

“Those who looked death bravely in the eye were usually not chosen.”
Witold Pilecki, The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery

“I told him: “I have been inside for two years and seven months. I have had a job to do here. Lately I have had no instructions. Now the Germans have shipped out our best people with whom I’ve been working. I would have to start from scratch. I can see no further point in staying here. Therefore, I’m going to leave.” Captain 159 [Stanisław Machowski] looked at me in some surprise and said: “Yes. I can see that, but can one pick and choose when one wants to come to Auschwitz and when one wants to leave?” I replied: “One can.”
Witold Pilecki, The Auschwitz Volunteer: Beyond Bravery

Topics Mentioning This Author

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THE WORLD WAR TWO...: Books & Discussion on the Holocaust 1024 476 Oct 12, 2025 01:46PM  


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