Witold Pilecki
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Witold Pilecki
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Witold Pilecki :
On May 14, 1947, in Block X of the Mokotów Prison, Pilecki wrote a poem, "Dla Pana Pułkownika Różańskiego" ("For Colonel Różański"), which ends:
- "During the first 3 years at Auschwitz, 2 million people died; over the next 2 years—3 million." (Witold's Report.)
- I found a joy in myself who was taken from conciousnes that I want fight.
On May 14, 1947, in Block X of the Mokotów Prison, Pilecki wrote a poem, "Dla Pana Pułkownika Różańskiego" ("For Colonel Różański"), which ends:
- "Dlatego więc piszę niniejszą petycję,
- By sumą kar wszystkich - mnie tylko karano,
- Bo choćby mi przyszło postradać me życie -
- Tak wolę - niż żyć, a mieć w sercu ranę".
- That is why I write this petition,
- That all the punishments, punish only me,
- For though I should lose my life -
- I prefer it so - than to live, and bear a wound in my heart.
- "If Józef Cyrankiewicz finds out I'm here, I'm dead." (In prison, 1948.)
- "I was not a[n intelligence] resident, only a Polish officer. I carried out my orders until arrested. I had no sense that I was spying, and I ask that this be taken into account in deciding my verdict." (At trial, 1948.)
- "So they didn't let anybody else off. I can't live like this, I'm finished. Auschwitz was easy." (After death sentence had been pronounced, 1948.)