Prison Service Traditions Day
On 25 February 2025, the Katyn Museum hosted a ceremony marking Prison Service Traditions Day, during which posthumous honours — For Merit to the Prison Service (in Polish: “Za zasługi dla więziennictwa”) — were awarded to individuals who made outstanding contributions to the Polish prison system.
The ceremony was attended by Maria Ejchart, Deputy Minister of Justice; Renata Niziołek, Director General of the Prison Service; representatives of the Prison Service; and relatives of the honourees.
Among those recognised were three officers of the pre-war Prison Guard: aspirant Karol Gitzer, aspirant Szymon Psiuk, and senior guard Maciej Pielech. In September 1939, they were taken prisoner by Soviet forces and, in the spring of 1940, were murdered by the NKVD following the so-called Katyn decision of 5 March 1940.
To mark the occasion, staff at the Katyn Museum prepared a temporary exhibition featuring documents from the legacy of Senior Commissioner of Prison Service, Marceli Dąbrowiecki. Highlights include a photograph of prison guards at Mokotów Prison from October 1918, a manuscript of his work on training prison staff, an album from the juvenile correctional facility in Głazy, a personal file from the same period, as well as letters from former inmates and typescripts of studies devoted to the rehabilitation of young offenders. The exhibition will be on display until 1 March 2025.
