Order of a Polish hero put up for sale on an auction website. The Institute of National Remembrance writes about the “scandal”
“The number on the order allows you to identify the recipient. This is Captain Juliusz Roman Heinzel, a descendant of German manufacturers who made outstanding contributions to Łódź, a hero of the war against the Bolsheviks,” the entry explains.
Who was Capt. Heinzel?
He commanded one of the squadrons of the legendary 16th Greater Poland Uhlan Regiment. For his bravery on the battlefield, he was awarded the Silver Cross of the Military Order of Virtuti Militari, the Commemorative Medal for the War of 1918–1921 and the Medal of the Tenth Anniversary of Regained Independence.
“He returned to active military service in September 1939. Like thousands of other reserve officers, he was captured by the Soviets. In the spring of 1940, he was transported from the Starobielsk camp to Kharkov, murdered in the basement of the NKVD prison and buried near the village of Piatichatki. His fate was shared by approximately 3.8 thousand Polish officers,” it was emphasized.
Who put the order up for auction?
How did Captain Heinzel die?
What decorations did Captain Heinzel receive?
What does the Institute of National Remembrance say about the order auction?
Captain Heinzel rests in the Cemetery of Victims of Totalitarianism in Kharkov, opened on June 17, 2000. “The condition of the order indicates that it was found during the search for crime victims. The Institute of National Remembrance protests against the morally reprehensible commercialization of one of the greatest Soviet crimes committed during World War II,” it was noted.
“We appeal to the owner of the order to hand over the priceless souvenir to the authorities of the Republic of Poland and to the portal administration to immediately end the auction. The place of priceless historical testimonies is in the collections of memory institutions. The memory of the victims cannot be the subject of trade. The photograph preserved in the collections of the Central Military Archives shows the decoration of Captain Heinzl,” added the IPN.
