Wojciech Seweryn
Wojciech Seweryn | |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 August 1939 Tarnów, Poland |
| Died | 10 April 2010 (aged 70) |
| Occupation | Sculptor |
| Known for | Katyn Memorial in Niles, Illinois |
Wojciech Seweryn (born August 31, 1939 – died April 10, 2010) was a distinguished Polish sculptor who spent many years living in the United States.
Originating from Tarnów, Seweryn completed his education at the School of Fine Arts in his hometown and furthered his studies at the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków. In the mid-1970s, he relocated to Chicago. As the son of an officer from the 16th Infantry Regiment who perished in the Katyn massacre, Seweryn later designed and erected a monument honoring the victims of the Katyn massacre, which was unveiled in 2009 in Niles, Illinois. Tragically, he was among those who lost their lives alongside Poland’s President Lech Kaczyński, First Lady Maria Kaczyńska, and numerous other leading Polish figures in the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash near Smolensk.
On May 8, 2009, President Lech Kaczynski awarded him the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in recognition of his exceptional contributions to preserving the memory of Poland’s history and for his social and philanthropic efforts. Shortly after the Smolensk air disaster, on April 16, 2010, Seweryn received a posthumous honor—the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
In 2011, a segment of Milwaukee Avenue in Niles, Illinois was renamed to commemorate his legacy.