General Prof. Elżbieta Zawacka was posthumously awarded the Alumno Bene Merenti medal – an honour bestowed upon graduates of Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, who, whilst not being employees of the university, have brought renown to the institution through their activities for society, culture and science. The ceremony was held on May 20 in the Rector's Office at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan.
“Elżbieta Zawacka was one of the most extraordinary figures in 20th-century Polish history – a courier and emissary for the Polish Home Army, and the only woman among the ‘Cichociemni (The Silent Unseen)’ – the elite paratroopers trained for the most difficult missions,” emphasised the AMU Rector, Prof. Bogumiła Kaniewska. "A great Polish woman and hero, her life is a testimony of extraordinary strength of character, patriotism and responsibility for the fate of others," added the Rector.
General Elżbieta Zawacka “Zo” studied at the University of Poznań from October 1 1927, to June 26 1935. She obtained a Master of Philosophy degree in mathematics based on her master’s thesis entitled “Równania różniczkowe perjodów całek eliptycznych (Differential Equations of Periods of Elliptic Integrals)”. The thesis was evaluated by Prof. Zdzisław Krygowski, to whom the student expressed her gratitude in the typescript for the thesis topic and for his guidance during its preparation.
General Zawacka graduated from the AMU Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences in 1931 – she completed her master's degree examinations already after 1931, combining her professional work with her studies. She then became a teacher, first at the Secondary Accounting School in Sompolno from 1931 to 1934, and then at the Ursuline Sisters’ Educational and Scientific Institute in Otorowo from 1934 to 1935. From September 1, 1935, she was employed at the Municipal Girls’ Grammar School in Toruń. Whilst working there, she began the process of obtaining her Secondary School Teacher’s Diploma, issued on May 15, 1936 – exactly 90 years ago. It qualified her to teach mathematics as a main subject in general secondary schools and state and private teacher training colleges, with Polish and German as the languages of instruction. As part of her application for these qualifications, she wrote examination papers on pedagogy, general didactics and the didactics of mathematics.
Professor Elżbieta Zawacka is the second Polish woman in the history of the Polish Army to have achieved the rank of Brigadier General. She is a Dame of the Order of the White Eagle.
“The remembrance of her actions and heroism during the Second World War will endure as a symbol of courage, strength and devotion to Poland,” said Prof. Bogumiła Kaniewska as she presented the medal recipient’s biography.
The Alumno Bene Merenti medal was accepted on behalf of the honouree by Dorota Zawacka-Wakarecy, President of the General Elżbieta Zawacka Foundation. “I can confirm that she was an exceptional person,” said the President. “Throughout her hundred years of life, she proved that she was a remarkable Polish woman and a remarkable alumna of this University,” added Dorota Zawacka-Wakarecy.
The laudation was delivered by the Vice-Rector for International Cooperation at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Prof. Rafał Witkowski. “When the ancient Greeks and Romans devised the ceremonial speech of praise in honour of the honouree—which we call a laudation—they suggested that it should consist of several elements, but always linked by carefully chosen rhetorical phrases to emphasise, highlight, accentuate, distinguish or bring out the qualities of mind and body. From a rhetorical point of view, such measures make sense. But are they appropriate when it comes to saying a few words about General Elżbieta Zawacka? I dare to say that her life was so exceptional that it is enough simply to recount it, and her achievements over the course of several decades speak for themselves, needing no rhetorical flourishes. The dignity and beauty of humanity, and the love for her homeland, demonstrated by her heroic deeds, form a tribute to her that is “more enduring than one cast in bronze”, said Prof. Rafał Witkowski. Recalling events from Prof. Elżbieta Zawacka’s life, he added that “scenes we know from films were, for her, the trials of everyday life”. - Elżbieta Zawacka served her homeland until the very end of her long, meaningful and dignified existence. She passed away two months before her 100th birthday, fulfilling her human and civic duty to remain faithful to the oath she had once sworn to the very fullest extent", emphasised Vice-Rector Prof. Rafał Witkowski.
During the event, a letter from the Mayor of Toruń, Paweł Gulewski, was read out. The medal presentation ceremony was accompanied by an exhibition in the lobby of the Collegium Minus entitled ‘Cichociemna. Gen. Elżbieta Zawacka “Zo” (1909–2009)’.
The decision to award the honour to Gen. Prof. Elżbieta Zawacka was taken by Prof. Andrzej Lesicki, Rector of the Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, from 2016 to 2020.
Photo by Władysław Gardasz
