Aviator Monument

About

The Aviator Memorial (Polish: Pomnik Lotnika) is a monument in Warsaw designed by Edward Wittig in honor of Franciszek Żwirko and Stanisław Wigura, two aviation heroes of Poland. It is a reconstruction of the original monument that was unveiled in 1932 in Union of Lublin Square and destroyed in 1944. The current monument was constructed in 1967.

Original monument (1932–1944): The sculpture was designed by Edward Wittig in 1932 and was based on Leonard Zbigniew Lepszy, who posed for the sculpture. A model of the monument was presented in 1929 at the Polish General Exhibition in Poznań. It was unveiled on 11 November 1932 at Union of Lublin Square. The monument faced the exit of Jana Chrystiana Szucha Avenue. The author of the granite pedestal and the surroundings of the monument was Antoni Jawornicki. The cast of the aviator's statue was made in the Warsaw Metallurgical Works of L. Krance and T. Łempicki. The construction of the monument was financed from public contributions and proceeds from aviation events. The monument was one of the first monuments in Europe dedicated to aviation. In 1942, Kotwica graffiti made by Jan Gut and Jan Bytnar appeared on the statue...