Czesław Mączyński

Col. Czesław Mączyński (9 July 1881 in Kaszyce – 15 July 1935 in Lwów) was a Polish officer, politician in the Second Polish Republic, and the Commander-in-chief of the Polish military contingent during the defense of Lwów – also called the Battle of Lemberg – throughout November 1918 (part of the Polish–Ukrainian War), as well as the Polish–Soviet War of 1920. He was the recipient of some of the highest Polish military awards including Virtuti Militari, and a subject of the 2004 monograph by Jacek Miliński from University of Łódź.

Career Mączyński graduated from high-school in Jarosław and studied at the University of Lemberg (now Lviv University, Ukraine). He worked as teacher of the Polish, Latin and Greek languages at the Gymnasium No.1 in Przemyśl under partitions. When the First World War erupted, he was drafted by the Austrians. He served in the Austro-Hungarian Army, reaching a rank of captain. Around 1918 he joined the nascent Polish Army fighting for independence, and in the Polish-Ukrainian War served in the battle of Lemberg (1918), where he organized the defense of the city, and was de facto in command. Later, he fought in the Polish-Soviet War, and reached the rank of colonel in the Polish Army. On the morning of 22 November Mączyński issued a proclamation to all inhabitants of Lwów regardless of creed or religion assuring that they have nothing to fear and their rights will be respected by the new Polish administration providing they don't take up arms.

The report written by Colonel Czesław Mączyński afterwards attempted to summarize the terrible human losses from his perspective as Commander of Lwów.

The Jewish Rescue Committee gives the following numbers in their summary: 73 killed, 443 wounded, 3,620 families victimized. The fact that the numbers are not adequate, can be shown in research conducted by the city comandanture. After the examination of records kept by the Jewish hospital and the Jewish public register, overall, between 1 November and 20 December 1918 sudden death was met by 68 Jews. From that number, in the period of Ukrainian attack I stress, under the Ukrainian control of the city from 1 to 22 November 27 Jewish people died. In the days of 22 25 November, 27 individuals died by the bullet. On 26 November died 8 persons from wounds received in previous days, and in the period from 26 November until 20 December 6 persons. I attest, that in all instances mentioned above the cause of death were bullet wounds. There were no piercing wounds on record at all, which would have been more typical of a pogrom and therefore probably most frequent. Commanding officer, Czesław Mączyński and in 1933 was awarded the Cross of Independence with Swords for his service during the Polish–Soviet War. He also published his memoirs and analysis of the battle of Lwów, titled Boje Lwowskie, with description of the anti-Jewish "Lwów pogrom". Mączyński remained single. Known to local nationalists, he was a target of notable arsons. He died of an illness at the age of 54. His place in the Polish history of Lviv was reasserted only after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Honours and awards Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari Cross of Independence with Swords Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta Cross of Valour - four times