News
Tadeusz Podkówka as the „Face of Opole”
Yesterday, after a long break, as part of the series the ,,Faces of Opole”, there was organized a meeting by us. Its protagonist was Tadeusz Podkówka (1922–2004), an indefatigable guardian for remembrance the victims of the Katyn Massacre, myrmecologist, and forester. The event in which, due to restrictions, a limited number of people could attend, was broadcast on the Museum’s Facebok page.
The meeting began with a welcome talk from the Museum Director, Dr. Violetta Rezler-Wasielewska. Recalling the idea behind the series, she highlighted the relationship of the meeting's protagonist with the Museum and introduced Harry Duda, Mieczysław Drapała and Wiktor Koncewicz. The first of them presented the most important facts of Tadeusz Podkowa's life and focused on his activity in establishing the Katyń Family Association in Opole, commemorating the victims of the Katyn Massacre, including his father – Stefan, a prisoner of war in Starobielsk, murdered in 1940 by the NKWD. Harry Duda enriched his speech by reading out fragments of memoirs of Tadeusz's sister, Regina Podkowa-Bochnia, as well as his own poems. Thanks to him the attendees of the meeting could also take with them a copy of the text of his biography and the book Szlakiem zbrodni II. Opolanie w sprawie katyńskiej (1998) [A Trail of Crime II. Citizens of Opole in the Katyn case (1998)].
The theme of Katyn was continued by Mieczysław Drapała, who was friends with Tadeusz Podkówka in the last years of his life. He talked about joint commemorative trips, including the construction of the Golgotha of the East Monument.
Whereas, professional and scientific achievements of Tadeusz Podkówka, focused on myrmecology and the role of Formica polyctena (a species of European red wood ant) in maintaining balance in Polish forests, were extensively presented by Wiktor Koncewicz, deputy head of the Prószków Forest District, which had been also managed by Tadeusz Podkówka in the past.
The meeting was closed by the Museum Director.
A film from the event can be watched on the Museum's Facebook profile: here.
