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Poland’s state Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) has identified the remains of Mieczysław Dziemieszkiewicz (pictured above on the right), a prominent figure in the underground resistance that fought against the Soviet-installed communist authorities in the years after World War Two. Dziemieszkiewicz, who was killed by the communist security services in 1951 and dumped in an unmarked mass grave, was identified through a combination of historical detective work and genetic testing, including exhuming the remains of his deceased mother and sister to obtain DNA samples. “Once again, we can say that the communist authorities did not win.
Heroes prevail,” declared Krzysztof Szwagrzyk, deputy head of the IPN. “Even in the most difficult situations, we must seek the truth, find those of whom no trace was supposed to remain, and restore their names.” While World War Two officially came to an end in 1945, tens of thousands of Poles, known as the “cursed soldiers” (żolnierze wyklęci), continued to fight against the Soviets and the communist regime they installed in Poland. While most had laid down arms by 1947, some continued fighting well beyond then, including Dziemieszkiewicz, who operated under the nom de guerre “Rój” (meaning “swarm”).
Dziemieszkiewicz, who was 20 years old when the war ended, came from a family that had been part of Poland’s wartime resistance. His anti-communist views were hardened when his elder brother, Roman, was killed by Red Army soldiers in 1945. After being conscripted that year into the Soviet-backed Polish People’s Army, Dziemieszkiewicz defected and joined the underground resistance forces, where he rose to command a unit tasked with eliminating regime officials and members of the communist Polish Workers Party (PPR).
In 1950, the communist authorities intensified efforts to dismantle Dziemieszkiewicz’s unit, using threats and blackm…
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