Stefan Aleksander Okrzeja (; born 3 April 1886 in Dębe Wielkie, Mińsk County, executed 21 July 1905 in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

) was a Polish worker, socialist and activist for Poland's independence.

Early life and activism

Stefan Okrzeja was a son of a railway track-walker. He worked as a painter, then as an iron worker in various factories in Warsaw. He joined the illegal

Polish Socialist Party The Polish Socialist Party ( pl, Polska Partia Socjalistyczna, PPS) is a socialist political party in Poland. It was one of the most important parties in Poland from its inception in 1892 until its merger with the communist Polish Workers' P ...

(PPS) in 1904, soon becoming a member of its Warsaw Committee. He took part in many anti-tsarist demonstrations. During the famous demonstration on Grzybowski Square on 13 November 1904 he was the one who carried the red banner. He became a key member of the

Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist Party The Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist Party ( pl, Organizacja Bojowa Polskiej Partii Socjalistycznej, abbreviated ''OBPPS''), also translated as Fighting Organization of the Polish Socialist Party; also known as ''bojówki'' ( paramilita ...

that was responsible for protecting workers meetings and demonstrations and was organizing attacks against Russian police officers or high rank officials. Okrzeja distinguished himself in many combat actions as a commander of a party consisted of ten fighters.

Last action, trial and execution

On 26 March 1905, Okrzeja made an attempt to assassinate a police officer. He threw a bomb into the police post on Wileńska Street on

Praga Praga is a district of Warsaw, Poland. It is on the east bank of the river Vistula. First mentioned in 1432, until 1791 it formed a separate town with its own city charter. History The historical Praga was a small settlement located at ...

. The explosion demolished the post, but Okrzeja was within the range. Badly wounded and unable to escape, he was arrested and imprisoned in the infamous 10th Pavilion of

Warsaw Citadel Warsaw Citadel (Polish: Cytadela Warszawska) is a 19th-century fortress in Warsaw, Poland. It was built by order of Tsar Nicholas I after the suppression of the 1830 November Uprising in order to bolster imperial Russian control of the city. I ...

. According to the fact he was caught red-handed, the trial before a district court was very short, despite the passionate defence by Stanisław Patek. Okrzeja was sentenced to death and executed soon afterwards, on 21 July 1905.

Legacy

By his deeds and martyrdom, Stefan Okrzeja became a hero of Polish Socialist Party and an icon of its fight for independent Poland and workers rights. Writer Gustaw Daniłowski wrote a short story about his life. It was first published by the underground PPS printing house. When Poland regained its independence in 1918, Okrzeja was counted into a pantheon of national heroes. His name was given to the 28th Infantry Division and to a street on Praga, not far away from the place of his last combat action.

References

* Jan Tomicki, ''Polska Partia Socjalistyczna'', Książka i Wiedza, Warszawa 1983 {{DEFAULTSORT:Okrzeja, Stefan 1886 births 1905 deaths People from Mińsk County Polish Socialist Party politicians Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist Party members Polish people executed by the Russian Empire Recipients of the Cross of Independence with Swords Commanders of the Order of Polonia Restituta Executed people from Masovian Voivodeship 20th-century executions by Russia Executed failed assassins 20th-century Polish criminals