On 26 March 1943, beneath the Warsaw Arsenal building, at the junction of what were then Bielańska, Długa and Nalewki streets, scouts from the Grey Ranks freed scoutmaster Jan Bytnar, code-named “Rudy”, from the Gestapo—one of the most important activists of the underground scouting movement.

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Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
1 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
2 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
3 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
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Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
4 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
5 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
6 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
7 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
8 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
9 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
10 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
11 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
12 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
13 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
14 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
15 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
16 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
17 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
18 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
19 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
20 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
21 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
22 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec
Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action
23 / 23 Residents of Bolesławiec Commemorated the Anniversary of the Arsenal Action · Photo author: UM Bolesławiec

Twenty-eight members of the Grey Ranks took part in the Arsenal Action. After the German guard was eliminated, two of its members and 19 other prisoners were freed. Jan Bytnar died on 30 March 1943 as a result of wounds sustained during the investigation.

On 27 March this year, at the symbol of Fighting Poland in Bolesławiec, scouts, primary school pupils and their teachers, together with scoutmaster and Bolesławiec City Councilor Zdzisław Abramowicz, commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Arsenal Action.

The deputy mayor, Renata Szewczyk, and school delegations laid flowers at the monument. The ceremony was prepared by eighth-grade pupils: Eryk Sługocki, Pascal Walski, Hubert Ciszewski and Julian Greszczyszyn from Primary School No. 4 in Bolesławiec.