Władysław Filar (18 July 1926 – 13 August 2019) was a Polish historian, academic and a soldier of the 27th Home Army Infantry Division. Filar was born in Iwanicze Nowe in

Volhynia Volhynia (also spelled Volynia) ( ; uk, Воли́нь, Volyn' pl, Wołyń, russian: Волы́нь, Volýnʹ, ), is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between south-eastern Poland, south-western Belarus, and western Ukraine. Th ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

(now

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

). During the Second World War, he fought against the Germans in Volhynia in

Operation Tempest file:Akcja_burza_1944.png, 210px, right Operation Tempest ( pl, akcja „Burza”, sometimes referred to in English as "Operation Storm") was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II against occupying German forces by the Polish Home ...

, and defended Polish villages against the

Ukrainian Insurgent Army The Ukrainian Insurgent Army ( uk, Українська повстанська армія, УПА, translit=Ukrayins'ka povstans'ka armiia, abbreviated UPA) was a Ukrainian nationalist paramilitary and later partisan formation. During World ...

. In 1956, he completed the Academy of General Staff and in 1963 received a

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

Military History Military history is the study of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, cultures and economies thereof, as well as the resulting changes to local and international relationships. Professional historians norma ...

. He

habilitated Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including a ...

in 1970 and became associate professor in 1973. He authored up to 120 historical and military publications. Filar also organized a series of historical seminars: "Poland – Ukraine: difficult questions" (1996–2001). Filar latterly served as the vice-chairman of Volhynia County, World Union of

Home Army The Home Army ( pl, Armia Krajowa, abbreviated AK; ) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) esta ...

. He died 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 ...

on 13 August 2019, at the age of 93.

Awards and decorations

* Cross of Valour * Partisan Cross *

Polish Army Medal The Polish Army Medal ( pl, Medal Wojska Polskiego) was established by Poland on 3 September 1999 to recognize service to the Polish Army by foreign civilians and military personnel. The medal is presented in three grades Gold, Silver, and Bronze b ...

, three times * Home Army Cross

Books

* ''Przed Akcją Wisła był Wołyń'', książka pod redakcją Władysława Filara, Wydawnictwo: Światowy Związek Żołnierzy Armii Krajowej, 1997. * ''Wołyń 1939-1944. Eksterminacja, czy walki polsko-ukraińskie'', Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek, 2003. * ''Przebraże bastion polskiej samoobrony na Wołyniu'', Rytm Oficyna Wydawnicza, 2007. * ''Wydarzenia wołyńskie 1939-1944. W poszukiwaniu odpowiedzi na trudne pytania'', Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek, 2008. * ''"Burza" na Wołyniu". Z dziejów 27 Wołyńskiej Dywizji Piechoty Armii Krajowej. Studium historyczno-wojskowe'', Oficyna Wydawnicza RYTM i ROPWiM, Warszawa 1997.

References

Sources

Publishing house Adam Marszałek
(In Polish) 1926 births 2019 deaths People from Volyn Oblast 20th-century Polish historians Polish male non-fiction writers Home Army members Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland) Recipients of the Polish Army Medal Recipients of the Armia Krajowa Cross {{Poland-historian-stub