Today marks exactly one hundred years since the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was unveiled in Warsaw. It was on 2 November 1925 that the coffin containing the body of the nameless defender of the fatherland, which had been brought from the then Polish Lviv, was placed in a tomb under the arcades of the Saski Palace. Since then, this unique place has been recognised as one of the most important sites-symbols of national memory-in Poland.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – the idea
The concept of creating a symbolic tomb dedicated to the unknown soldier originated after World War I in France, where the first place of this type was created in Paris in 1920. In Poland, initiatives to commemorate nameless heroes appeared in 1921, and the final decision to build the tomb was made four years later. The location chosen was under the colonnade of the Saski Palace, in the central part of the capital. The aim of the project was to pay tribute to all those who died fighting for Poland’s freedom.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – choice of location and hero from Lviv
The first plaque in honour of unknown soldiers was placed by the citizens of Warsaw at the monument to Prince Józef Poniatowski, which stood in front of the Saxon Palace. It was this gesture that determined the location of the future grave. The site of the exhumation was chosen by lot from among 15 battlefields from the years 1918-1920, with the Lviv Cemetery of the Defenders of the Eaglets indicated by fate. on 29 October 1925, three coffins were exhumed there, and the remains of a 14-year-old private wearing a maciejówka (distinctive cap) were selected for burial in Warsaw. The decision was made by Jadwiga Zarugiewiczowa, mother of the soldier killed at Zadwór. on 1 November 1925, the coffin was taken to Warsaw and solemnly escorted to St John’s Cathedral, where a service was held. The following day, the body was laid to rest in a tomb under the arcades of the Saski Palace. Urns with earth from the battlefields were placed next to the coffin and an eternal candle was lit.
“Who are you? I don’t know. Where is your family home? I don’t know. Who are your parents? I don’t know and I don’t want to know and I won’t know until the judgment day. Your greatness is in the fact that you are unknown” – These words were uttered by Monsignor Antoni Szlagowski on All Souls’ Day – 2 November 1925 – during a Mass at St John’s Cathedral in Warsaw, in connection with the arrival in the capital of the coffin in which the body of the Unknown Soldier had been laid to rest.
Saski Palace – former royal residence
The Saxon Palace was built after 1661 as a baroque residence with four towers. In the following centuries, it changed owners many times and underwent reconstructions according to the trends of the time and the needs of its occupants. After the death of Augustus III Sas, it lost its status as a royal residence and was transformed into a commercial building where, among other things, the Warsaw Lyceum operated. In the 19th century, a Russian merchant, Ivan Skvartsov, became the owner of the estate and commissioned the architect Adam Idzhkovsky to rebuild the edifice. The extensive works resulted in an almost completely new building with two wings connected by a classicist colonnade in the Corinthian order, under which the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was established a century ago.
Destruction of the Saski Palace and planned reconstruction
Saski Palace survived most of the Second World War unscathed, but was blown up by German troops at the end of 1944. Only a fragment of the arcade with a tomb survived from the ruins. The preserved part was rebuilt and, on 9 May 1946, the ceremonial unveiling of the symbolic burial place of Polish soldiers – now even more eloquent – took place again. In the following years, further memorial plaques were added, commemorating soldiers killed in various conflicts. The last one was placed in 2017. In front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, an honour guard of soldiers from the Representative Battalion of the Polish Army keeps watch around the clock. A ceremonial changing of the guard takes place every Sunday at 12.00.
Discoveries in the cellars of the Saski Palace
Thousands of relics and artefacts from the past have so far been found during archaeological work carried out in the grounds of the former Saski Palace, more specifically in its preserved cellars. Of particular importance among them are two metal shields that once adorned the grilles of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They represent the obverse and reverse of the Cross of the Order of War Virtuti Militari. Experts from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage have established that one of them is the original, already located at the tomb on the day of its unveiling, 2 November 1925. The other was created after the war. Both can be seen in the glass pavilion on Piłsudski Square.
Reconstruction of the Saski Palace
Preparations are currently underway in Warsaw to rebuild the Saski Palace, the Brühl Palace and three tenement houses on Piłsudski Square. The actual construction work is preceded by archaeological research and an analysis of the preserved elements, and on this basis an architectural design has been prepared by the WXCA Group sp. z o.o. design studio. The project is scheduled for completion in 2030, and its cost is estimated at around PLN 2.45 billion. The general contractor is to be selected in 2027. The whole project has aroused strong emotions from the beginning. Supporters point to the need to restore the historic buildings and close the composition of the square, while opponents point to environmental issues, such as the planned felling of trees, and the problem of the authenticity of the new structure, which will not be an original monument but merely a reconstruction. Many also point to the considerable interference of Skwarcow, who has made the palace into a rental tenement, I its planned form is out of step with the history of the royal residence.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a hundred years old
For a century, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been the central place of remembrance of those who died for the freedom of our homeland. It is here that state and military ceremonies are held, and representatives of the authorities and residents pay constant tribute to the heroes. Despite the passage of time, historical changes and attempts to erase the memory of this place, the grave still symbolises sacrifice, courage and love for Poland.
Source: Saski Palace, money.pl, noizz.pl
Read also: Monument | Palace | History | Warsaw | Interesting facts
The palace in the 1920s and the same place in 2022. Source: Military Historical Office and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
Construction of the tomb in the arcade of the palace and the same site recently. Source: Polona and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw – 1920s and 2022. Source: State Archives in Warsaw and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 1945 and 2022. Source: Military History Bureau and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski
The surroundings of the Saxon Palace in 1935 and 2022. The grave is marked in red. Source: mapa.um.warszawa.pl
