During the service on the occasion of Independence Day Marshal of the Sejm Marek Kuchciński paid tribute to Henryk Bąk - activist of the anti-communist people's movement, prisoner of the Stalinist regime, deputy speaker of the First Free Sejm of the Republic of Poland in 1991-1993.

- Henryk Bak was a role model for many of us. He brought to our times the work of the generation of the Wyklęccy Soldiers and the previous generations fighting for independent Poland - said during the ceremony Marshal Marek Kuchciński.

Led by Bąk, the Conspiratorial Defense of the Polish Peasant Party in 1950 was transformed into the Polish Peasant Stormtroopers, bringing together more than 500 patriots who often paid for their stance with their lives, years in prison, or repression. In the 1970s and 1980s, Henryk Bak became heavily involved in the creation of Solidarity. After 1980, he became the head of Mikołajczykow's PSL.

Despite numerous persuasions and repressions, Henryk Bąk never gave in to the communist authorities, fighting for an independent homeland. He was sentenced to death four times for founding the Polish Peasant Stormtroopers. The authorities of that time argued that the sentence "was detrimental to the state, continuing the policy of the PSL and the traitor Mikołajczyk, and being hostile to the system of the People's Republic of Poland and the Soviet Union. According to the communists, Henryk Bak "did not promise improvement and should have been removed from healthy society."

The parliamentarians, government representatives and clergy who recalled the deputy speaker emphasized his rich life story and beautiful character. - Among the founders of Solidarity there were few with political experience. One of those few was Henryk Bak. As Deputy Speaker of the Sejm, he liked to listen. Centuries of experience from previous generations stood behind him," said Speaker Kuchciński. "Both he and the other conspirators of the Szturmówka are for us models of steadfast patriotic attitude. From them young Poles can learn love for the homeland and fidelity to values," wrote Jarosław Kaczyński, President of the Law and Justice party, in his letter.

The mass on the occasion of the upcoming Independence Day was attended by Marshal of the Sejm Marek Kuchciński, Minister of the Environment Jan Szyszko, MP Dariusz Bak, MP Andrzej Melak. Prof. Jan Żaryn gave a lecture on Henryk Bąek's activities.

text/ photo Marta olejnik

From the left: deputy Dariusz Bak, deputy Andrzej Melak, Marshal of the Sejm Marek Kuchciński, Minister of the Environment professor Jan Szyszko, professor Jan Żaryn