Stefan Wyszynski Monument

Stefan Wyszyński (3 August 1901 – 28 May 1981) was a prominent figure in the Catholic Church in Poland. He served as the bishop of Lublin from 1946 to 1948, and later as the archbishop of Warsaw and Gniezno from 1948 to 1981. Pope Pius XII elevated him to the rank of cardinal in 1953, and he took on the title of Primate of Poland.

Wyszyński is known for his courageous and principled stand against National Socialism and Communism, and his close relationship with Pope John Paul II. In 2017, Pope Francis declared him Venerable, recognizing his heroic virtue. The cause for his beatification and canonization began in 1989, and he was scheduled to be beatified in 2020, but the ceremony was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually took place in 2021.

Wyszyński is highly respected in Poland for his role in helping to preserve Polish Christianity in the face of communist persecution and repression. He spent three years in prison and is considered a national hero by many.

The monument stands on Krakowskie Przedmieście, an extension of Królewska Street, on a small square in front of the Visitationist Church. During the martial law period, Warsaw residents gathered on this square and arranged a symbolic cross made of flowers and candles in protest against the system and in a manifesto of their attachment to the Church. This cross was systematically destroyed and removed by the militia and the Security Service.

The statue of Primate of the Millennium was designed by Andrzej Renes. It was cast in bronze at the Gliwice Technical Equipment Works and placed on a simple granite pedestal. The monument depicts a contemplative Primate in a solemn liturgical attire sitting on an archbishop's throne, at the foot of which there is a spacious plate on or around which Warsaw residents often place flowers and candles.

The monument was unveiled on May 27, 1987.