Unveiling of the monument to Stanisława Leszczyńska

A monument to Stanisława Leszczyńska depicting a figure holding an infant wrapped in cloth. A white-and-red ribbon is draped over the monument. In front of it, there is a stone pedestal with an inscription, and the background is formed by a green wall of plants.

On the Polish Midwife's Day, a monument to Stanisława Leszczyńska – the patron of all midwives – was unveiled at Karowa Hospital. The event drew crowds of Warsaw residents.

The unbreakable midwife of Auschwitz-Birkenau

Stanisława Leszczyńska (1896-1974) was a midwife in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. There, under extremely inhumane conditions, she attended to as many as several births a day, heroically defying Józef Mengele's order to murder newborn children.

"The idea of creating this sculpture arose from a heartfelt desire to tell the story of Stanisława Leszczyńska, a midwife who delivered babies in a chimney shaft at a concentration camp," said Dr Barbara Mazurkiewicz from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Education of the Medical University of Warsaw, the Vice Chair of the Warsaw Regional Council of the Regional Chamber of Nurses and Midwives and one of the project's initiators. "Stanisława Leszczyńska received an order to kill every newborn child, but she never carried it out. Standing in front of doctor Mengele, she said: “No, you must never kill children.” Against orders, against the cruel reality, she chose to do good. Her steadfastness and courage have come to symbolize the fact that even in the darkest of times, people can retain their humanity."

Karowa – the beginning of a professional career and a place of commemoration

In the memories of those who knew her, Stanisława Leszczyńska is remembered as a woman of maternal kindness, extremely caring and protective. And how did she start her career? In 1920, she moved to Warsaw, where she began her studies at the midwifery school at 2 Karowa Street.

"It was here at Karowa Street that the young Stanisława learned the basics of her profession, which would be put to its greatest test 20 years later. It was here that she learned how to turn her boundless love for children into a professional dedication to life," said Anastazja Więckiewicz, the acting director of Karowa Hospital, during the unveiling ceremony of the sculpture.

The unveiling ceremony was held on 8 May this year, exactly on the 130th anniversary of the heroic midwife's birth. The ceremony was attended by the family of Stanisława Leszczyńska and Ewa Machaj-Antosiewicz – born in the Auschwitz camp, delivered by Stanisława Leszczyńska. The state authorities were represented by: Jarosław Margielski, advisor to the President of the Republic of Poland and Katarzyna Kęcka, the Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Health. Our university was represented by: Prof. Dorota Olczak-Kowalczyk, the Vice Rector for Human Resources, Prof. Paweł Włodarski, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Assoc. Prof. Jacek Sieńko, the Vice Dean for Student Affairs of the English Division. Representatives of local authorities were also present at the unveiling of the monument: Karolina Bober, the Deputy President of Warsaw, Aleksander Ferens, the mayor of the Śródmieście district. The representatives of the obstetric and nursing community also attended the event: Mariola Łodzińska, the President of the Supreme Chamber of Nurses and Midwives, and the Chairwomen of the district chambers of nurses and midwives with their delegations. The event was also attended by clergy, including the Metropolitan of Warsaw, Archbishop Adrian Galbas. The event was hosted by the director of Karowa Hospital – Anastazja Więckiewicz, accompanied by the former director of Karowa Hospital – Ewa Piotrowska.

Photos: Karowa Hospital

An outdoor ceremony at the monument to Stanisława Leszczyńska. In front of the monument stands a lectern with a microphone. A large group of participants is gathered around, some holding documents or handbags. In the foreground, there is a keyboard instrument with sheet music on the stand.

A group of seated participants at the event, some holding handbags or a cane. Behind them, more people are standing, gathered for the ceremony. In the background, a banner referring to Stanisława Leszczyńska is visible.

A person standing at a transparent lectern with a microphone and sheets of paper in their hands is speaking during the ceremony. In the background, the monument to Stanisława Leszczyńska and a group of people standing on a raised platform are visible, some wearing nursing caps.

A person at the lectern reads from a prepared text, holding sheets of paper in their hands. In front of them stand the ceremony participants, some holding folders or documents. Nearby, there is the monument and a stone memorial element.

A person in light-colored attire and a nursing cap stands at the lectern, holding a document and addressing the gathered audience. Behind the lectern, the monument with a white-and-red ribbon is visible, as well as a person holding a camera up to their face.

Participants of the ceremony stand in a semicircle and jointly hold a white-and-red ribbon stretched at hand level, prepared for a symbolic cutting. In the background, the monument and the gathered audience are visible, some people holding flags or phones.