Jan Roman Bytnar, ''nom de guerre'' "Rudy" (''Ginger'') (born 6 May 1921,

Kolbuszowa Kolbuszowa () is a small town in south-eastern Poland, with 88911 inhabitants (02.06.2009). Situated in the Sandomierz Forest in the Subcarpathian Voivodship, it is the capital of Kolbuszowa County. Kolbuszowa belongs to historic Lesser Poland, ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

– died 30 March 1943,

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

) was a Polish scoutmaster, a member of Polish scouting

anti-Nazi resistance Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...

, and a lieutenant in the

Home Army The Home Army (, ; abbreviated AK) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) established in the ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Biography

He was the son of Stanisław Bytnar, a teacher and soldier in the

Polish Legions in World War I The Polish Legions () was a name of the Polish military force (the first active Polish army in generations) established in August 1914 in Galicia (Central Europe), Galicia soon after World War I erupted between the opposing alliances of the Trip ...

, and Zdzisława Rechulówna. He attended elementary school in

Piastów Piastów is a town in central Poland in the Masovian Voivodship, within the Warsaw metropolitan area, with 23,331 inhabitants (2006 est). With 3963 persons/km², it is the second most population density, densely populated township in Poland (afte ...

. In 1931 he was accepted to the Stefan Batory Gymnasium in Warsaw, where the Bytnar family moved in the same year. They lived in the

Mokotów Mokotów () is a district of Warsaw, the capital city of Poland. It is densely populated, and hosts many companies and foreign embassies. Only a small part of the district is lightly industrialised (''Służewiec Przemysłowy''), while the majori ...

district. In 1934, at the age of 13, he joined the

Polish Scouting and Guiding Association The Polish Scouting and Guiding Association (, ZHP) is the coeducational Poland, Polish Scouting organization recognized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. It was founded in ...

. In 1938 he attained the highest non-instructor rank, "Scout of the Republic". Shortly before, in 1937, he began attending a

lyceum The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Basic science and some introduction to ...

; he graduated in May 1939.

World War II

After the

German invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...

in September 1939, Bytnar lived in occupied Warsaw and worked as a glazier and school tutor. In October 1939, together with a group of friends, he joined the short lived left wing Polish People's Independent Action (''Polska Ludowa Akcja Niepodległościowa'', PLAN), a resistance group. As its member he composed and distributed pamphlets in response to the formation of the

General Government The General Government (, ; ; ), formally the General Governorate for the Occupied Polish Region (), was a German zone of occupation established after the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, Slovak Republic (1939–1945), Slovakia and the Soviet ...

by the Nazis. However, the organization was soon infiltrated by the

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

and broken up by January 1940. Bytnar left Warsaw and lived with his grandparents in

in south-eastern Poland, where he also became involved in anti-Nazi resistance. Sometime early in 1940 he joined the

Union of Armed Struggle The Union of Armed StruggleThus rendered in Norman Davies, ''God's Playground: A History of Poland'', vol. II, p. 464. (; ZWZ), also translated as the Union for Armed Struggle, Association of Armed Struggle, and Association for Armed Struggle ...

, a precursor organization of the

. In March 1941 he became a member of the

Gray Ranks Grey Ranks () was a codename for the underground paramilitary Polish Scouting Association () during World War II. The wartime organisation was created on 27 September 1939, actively resisted and fought German occupation in Warsaw until 18 ...

, a paramilitary underground scouting organization which carried out sabotage and diversion against the Germans. In particular, Bytnar and his cell focused on so-called ''" small sabotage"'' as part of the Wawer Group.

Arrest, death, and reprisal

He was arrested by the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

on 23 March 1943 and rescued three days later by a combat group of the

during the Operation Arsenal on 26 March. He died on 30 March, at the age of 21, from injuries sustained during the interrogation carried out by the

while in captivity. The extremely brutal torture of Bytnar was conducted by ''SS'' Rottenführer Ewald Lange and ''SS''

Obersturmführer __NOTOC__ (, ; short: ''Ostuf'') was a Nazi Germany paramilitary ranks, Nazi Germany paramilitary rank that was used in several Nazi organisations, such as the Sturmabteilung, SA, Schutzstaffel, SS, National Socialist Motor Corps, NSKK and the ...

Herbert Schultz. Both were later assassinated by the Gray Ranks. Schultz was shot dead on 6 May 1943 by

Sławomir Maciej Bittner Sławomir Maciej Bittner (codename: Maciek, Kajman Wojak; born 21 July 1923, Warsaw – died 28 February 1944, Warsaw, Poland) was a Polish scoutmaster ( podharcmistrz) and second lieutenant of the Armia Krajowa. Arrested on 18 February 1944 by ...

(aka "Maciek") and Eugeniusz Kecher (aka "Kołczan"). Lange was shot dead on 22 May 1943 by Jerzy Zapadko (aka "Dzik"). On 4 April 1946, his close friend and fellow

Szare Szeregi Grey Ranks () was a codename for the underground paramilitary Polish Scouting Association () during World War II. The wartime organisation was created on 27 September 1939, actively resisted and fought German occupation in Warsaw until 18 ...

member who died on the same day during the war, Maciej Dawidowski (aka ''Alek''), was buried in a common grave alongside Bytnar at the

Powązki Military Cemetery Powązki Military Cemetery (; ) is an old military cemetery located in the Żoliborz district, western part of Warsaw, Poland. The cemetery is often confused with the older Powązki Cemetery, known colloquially as "Old Powązki". The Old Pową ...

In literature and culture

Bytnar is the main character in '' Stones for the Rampart'', considered a classic of

Polish literature Polish literature is the literary tradition of Poland. Most Polish literature has been written in the Polish language, though other languages used in Poland over the centuries have also contributed to Polish literary traditions, including Latin, ...

for teenagers and young adults, by

Aleksander Kamiński Aleksander Kamiński, assumed name: ''Aleksander Kędzierski''. Also known under Pseudonym, aliases such as ''Dąbrowski'', ''J. Dąbrowski, Fabrykant, Faktor, Juliusz Górecki, Hubert, Kamyk, Kaźmierczak, Bambaju'' (28 January 1903 - 15 March ...

and ''Rudy, Alek, Zośka'' by . He is portrayed by Cezary Morawski in

Jan Łomnicki Jan Łomnicki (30 June 1929 – 18 December 2002) was a Polish film director and screenwriter. A graduate of the National Film School in Łódź. He directed more than thirty films between 1954 and 2000. His 1976 film ''To Save the City'' () ...

's 1977 historical film ''

Akcja pod Arsenałem ''Akcja pod Arsenałem'' (English: ''Operation Arsenal'') is a Polish historical film, based on the novel '' Kamienie na szaniec'' by Aleksander Kamiński,Operation Arsenal. In a 2010

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

''Oni szli Szarymi Szeregami'' directed by Mariusz Malec, the character of Bytnar is played by Bartłomiej Firlet. He served as inspiration for

Dawid Podsiadło Dawid Henryk Podsiadło (; born 23 May 1993) is a Polish singer-songwriter who won the second series of ''X Factor'' in 2012. He received PLN 100,000 and a recording contract with Sony Music. On the show, he was mentored by Tatiana Okupnik. ...

's 2014 single ''4:30'', the title of which alludes to the time when Bytnar was captured and arrested by

on 23 March 1943. The song appears in Robert Gliński's 2014 war drama '' Stones for the Rampart'', a film adaptation of Kamiński's book of the same title, in which the role of Bytnar is played by Tomasz Ziętek.

Remembrance and recognition

In 1943, he was awarded the Cross of Valour for having demonstrated deeds of valour and courage in wartime. In 2009, he was posthumously awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta by the President of Poland. A commemorative plaque was unveiled on Bytnar's birth house on ul. Nowe Miasto in

. In 1980, a second plaque was unveiled at the entrance to the tenement house al. Niepodległości 159 in

where he used to live and where he got arrested. Streets bearing his name are located in

Opole Opole (; ; ; ) is a city located in southern Poland on the Oder River and the historical capital of Upper Silesia. With a population of approximately 127,387 as of the 2021 census, it is the capital of Opole Voivodeship (province) and the seat of ...

and

. He is also a patron of 150 Polish scout teams as well as many schools across Poland.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bytnar, Jan 1921 births 1943 deaths People from Kolbuszowa Home Army officers Burials at Powązki Military Cemetery Polish Army officers Polish Scouts and Guides Polish torture victims Operation Arsenal