Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Death of Julian Spitosław Kulski
On 18 August 2026 at 11:00 a.m., the main commemorative ceremony honoring Julian Spitosław Kulski – the long-serving Deputy Mayor of Warsaw during the Second Polish Republic – will take place in Warsaw. The event, marking the 50th anniversary of his death, is jointly organized by the Institute of National Remembrance and the Kulski Foundation.
The programme is divided into two days:
18 August 2026, Warsaw – Main Commemorative Ceremonies
- 9:00 a.m. – laying of flowers at the grave of Julian S. Kulski at the Old Powązki Cemetery (section 164-5-1);
- 10:00 a.m. – laying of flowers at the commemorative plaque on the façade of the Jabłonowski Palace (14/16 Senatorska Street);
- 11:00 a.m. – main ceremony at the Monument to the Presidents of Greater Warsaw (Wybrzeże Gdańskie, at the intersection with Grodzka Street).
17 August 2026, President Lech Kaczyński Central History Point
- 5:00 p.m. – opening of the exhibition “A Legacy of Courage. The Extraordinary Story of a Father and Son” (107 Marszałkowska Street, Warsaw). The exhibition offers an encounter with the story of two generations of the Kulski family, united by courage, responsibility, public service, and a deep devotion to their homeland. The programme includes a meeting with the exhibition’s creators and an expert discussion featuring Prof. Tomasz Głowiński (University of Wrocław) and Dr Damian Sitkiewicz (Branch Historical Research Office of the Institute of National Remembrance). The discussion will be moderated by journalist Rafał Dudkiewicz.
Julian Spitosław Kulski (1892–1976) was born in Warsaw. From 1914 to 1917, he served in the Polish Legions, and subsequently, until 1921, in the Polish Army. For his service to his homeland, he was awarded the Virtuti Militari Order. In 1935, he was appointed Deputy Mayor of Warsaw. In September 1939, he served as the civilian commander of Warsaw’s air-raid defence.
As the capital faced surrender, Mayor Stefan Starzyński entrusted him with the mission of administering Warsaw and caring for its inhabitants amid the new and brutal realities of the German occupation. With the approval of the Polish Underground State and the Polish Government-in-Exile, Kulski served as acting mayor of Warsaw until 5 August 1944.
After the war, he continued to work for the benefit of Warsaw and other Polish cities, specializing in the management of housing construction.