Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Bild © Adrian Grycuk   |    Deutsch

A monument to the fallen soldiers in Poland’s thousand-year history. The grave houses a Nameless Soldier who defended Lviv from the Bolsheviks in 1920.

O n 2nd November 1925, a 1,5 metre deep trench was dug in which the body of an unnamed soldier from Lviv was placed. On the coffin is written: “This coffin contains the body of the Unknown Polish Soldier, taken from the grave in Lwów on 29th October 1925”. On the gravestone, on the other hand, everyone can read that “HERE LIES A POLISH SOLDIER WHO FALLED FOR HIS HOME COUNTRY”. The monument was located in the arcades of the Saxon Palace.

Three months after the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising (August – October 1944), the palace was blown up on 27th December 1944. Miraculously, only a small section of the arcades survived, which included the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was decided that the grave would remain in the same place. The ruins of the palace were fortified and secured. On 8th May 1946, the monument was unveiled again.

In 1989, the soil from the Katyn graves was deposited in special vases. On 3rd May 1991, 14 more plaques were unveiled, engraved with the locations of the battles of 972-1683, 1768-1921 and 1939-1945. In total, 22 commemorative plaques hang on the pillars.

The square in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is ideal for wheelchairs, walkers or the like. There are no obstacles here. Access is also not difficult in Saxon Park (garden). There are also plenty of places to sit there.