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Aleksander Gajewski
Born on February 9, 1910 in Warka, he attended the local public elementary school. After graduating from a state-run Teachers’ College in Mogielnica (Państwowe Seminarium Nauczycielskie w Mogielnicy), he started his career in education in 1931.
During the Defensive Campaign of September 1939, he fought as second lieutenant in the reserves. Wounded and captured by the invaders, he escaped from a military hospital in Legionowo and was treated in Warka and elsewhere. During the War, he taught at the schools in Zbrosza Duża (12 miles west of Warka), Piaseczno near Warsaw and Pieczyska (14 miles north-west of Warka). At the same time, he was a member of the underground and even became Commanding Officer of the 4th Force of the Union of Armed Struggle (Związek Walki Zbrojnej) in Warka, later renamed the Home Army, which was part of the Grójec “Głuszec” Home Army Force (Obwód Armii Krajowej Grójec–”Głuszec”.)
After the town was freed, he came out of hiding, but was soon detained by the Interior Ministry Security Office (Urząd Bezpieczeństwa, UB), put in UB prison in Grójec and later transported to distant parts of the Soviet Union. He returned to Warka in 1947.
In 1950, Gajewski resumed his career as a schoolteacher at the 1st Elementary School in Warka. Being a graduate of the Pedagogical College in Kraków (Wyższa Szkoła Pedagogiczna), he later taught civil defense and physical education in the local high school and retired in the 1970s. He was active in the local community, and was fascinated by local history ever since his time at the Teachers’ College.
Gajewski co-founded the Regional Museum of the Polish Tourism and Sightseeing Society (Muzeum Regionalne Polskiego Towarzystwa Turystyczno-Krajoznawczego, PTTK), was chairman of the board of the Warka’s branch of PTTK, Warka Town Boosters (Towarzystwo Miłośników Miasta Warki), and Warka Sports Club (Klub Sportowy Warka). He also wrote historical papers, was a long-time member of the Union of Polish Teachers (Związek Nauczycielstwa Polskiego) and the National Council in the Town of Warka (Miejska Rada Narodowa w Warce).
He received many medals and awards. In 1990, he became an Honorary Member of PTTK, and in 1992, Warka Honorary Citizen. He died on April 19, 1993, and was buried at the parish cemetery in Warka.