After I leave Budapest, I will head to the final
stop on the CETS trip, Krakow, Poland. While in Krakow, I will have the
opportunity to go see Kościuszko Mound, a memorial site created by the citizens
of Krakow to commemorate the Polish hero Tadeusz Kościuszko, (“Lonely Planet,”
2014). The building of mounds was an ancient Polish tradition reserved as
symbols of respect for fallen leaders. Examples of older, more ancient mounds
include those of Krak and Wanda, historic Polish rulers, (“Kościuszko Mound,”
n.d.). These mounds serve as symbolic tombs as well as monuments to the fallen
leaders they represent.
Tadeusz
Kościuszko is remembered as a figure who fought for an independent Poland
against foreign occupation. He was heavily influenced by the ideas of the
Enlightenment and very interested in the ideas of self-rule and independence. Kościuszko
traveled to America in 1776 in order to aid the United States in the American
Revolution. His input was crucial to the American victory over the British, and
he attained the rank of Brigadier General, (“Tadeusz Kościuszko,” n.d.).
Following the American Revolution, Kościuszko returned to Poland and became a general
in the Polish Army. However, after the Second Partition of Poland, Kościuszko
resigned. He later helped organize an uprising to reclaim an independent Polish
state. Ultimately, this uprising failed but Kościuszko was forever cemented as
a national hero in Polish memory, (“Tadeusz Kościuszko,” n.d.). The importance
of Kościuszko to the Polish people can been seen in the mound that they built
for him near Krakow.
 |
| Tadeusz Kościuszko |
The
construction of Kościuszko Mound began shortly after Kościuszko’s death in
1817. Dirt from the battlefields where Kościuszko
fought, both in the United States and Poland, was collected from 1820 to 1823.
This soil was then used as the material to create Kościuszko Mound, (“Kościuszko
Mound,” n.d.). Today, the mound stands 34 meters high and offers spectacular
views over Krakow, (“Lonely Planet,” 2014). This is definitely a landmark that
tourists should visit when they are staying in Krakow.
References:
Kościuszko Mound. History of the Kościuszko Mound. Retrieved from: http://www.kopieckosciuszki.pl/?x=historia_kopca&lang=en
Kościuszko Mound. Tadeusz Kościuszko. Retrieved from http://www.kopieckosciuszki.pl/?x=historia_tk&lang=en
Lonely Planet.com. (2014). Kościuszko Mound. Retrieved from http://www.lonelyplanet.com/poland/malopolska/krakow/sights/landmarks-monuments/kosciuszko-mound
Picture References:
http://cracow.travel/upload/object/2011-11/kopiec-kosciuszki.jpg
http://info-poland.buffalo.edu/imageweb/schwekert312.jpg
http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/b6/81/ec/kosciuszko-s-mound-kopiec.jpg
