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Former Warsaw Uprising fighter Ireneusz Rudnicki dies at 102

31.07.2024 21:30
Ireneusz Rudnicki, one of the oldest surviving fighters in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, died on Tuesday in the United States at the age of 102, two days before the 80th anniversary of the World War II revolt against the Polish capital's Nazi German occupiers.
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As a soldier of the Polish underground Home Army’s Kiliński Battalion, Rudnicki, nom de guerre "Emir," was a member of a small group of insurgents who hoisted the Polish national flag on top of the historic PASTA building in the centre of Warsaw.

During the German occupation, the building served as a regional telephone exchange for the German authorities. It was captured by Polish insurgents after 20 days of heavy fighting.

After the fall of the Warsaw Uprising, Rudnicki spent time in a German prison. He subsequently emigrated to the United Kingdom, from where he moved to the United States.

He graduated from college and worked as an engineer.

In March, Rudnicki celebrated his 73rd wedding anniversary. His wife Danuta was a medic during the Warsaw Uprising, which started on August 1, 1944 and lasted 63 days.

(mk/gs)