Witold Pilecki: podcast appearances and interviews

Witold Pilecki was a Polish World War II cavalry officer, intelligence agent, and resistance leader born on 13 May 1901. He participated in the Polish–Soviet War and later joined the Polish resistance following the invasion of Poland in 1939. Pilecki co-founded the Secret Polish Army resistance movement and volunteered to be captured by Germans in order to infiltrate Auschwitz concentration camp in 1940. While there, he organized an underground resistance and documented atrocities committed at the camp, with reports smuggled out to Polish and Allied authorities. After escaping from Auschwitz in April 1943, Pilecki fought in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 and was subsequently interned in a German prisoner-of-war camp. Post-war, he remained loyal to the Polish government-in-exile based in London and returned to Poland in 1945 to report on the country's situation. Prior to his return, he completed Witold's Report, detailing his Auschwitz experiences in anticipation of potential persecution by the new communist authorities. In 1947, Pilecki was arrested by Poland’s secret police on charges of working for foreign imperialism. After a show trial and torture, he was executed in Warsaw on 25 May 1948 at the age of 47. His story was largely unknown for many years but gained recognition through research and accounts such as those by Józef Garliński and subsequent historical works.