Google+
Facebook Live
Just In!
Sale Items
Amber
Apparel & Accessories
Books, Calendars, Maps, Movies, Music And More
Cards
Christmas
Easter
Folk Art
Folk Crafts
Food - Delicacies
Gift Certificates
Gift Wrap
Home, Garden and Kitchen
Keepsakes and Memorabilia
View All Keepsakes and Memorabilia
Car Related Items
Hamtramck
Heritage Magnets And Tiles
Military and Lapel Pins and Pendants
Other Items
Paczki Pals
Polish Stickers and Decals
Souvenir Bells
Souvenir Spoons
Thimbles
Militaria
Boleslawiec Polish Stoneware
Religious Articles
Workshops
Dance Schools
Language Schools
Links - Polish
Join our mailing list!
Store Hours (EST):
Mon - Sat 9:30am - 6:00pm
Sunday 11:00am - 3:00pm
Home
>
Keepsakes and Memorabilia
>
Other Items
>
Wojtek The Bear (Niedźwiedź Wojtek) Figurine 4"
Earn 10
Points
for every dollar you spend!
Our Price:
$
19.95
EAN:
5903036032197
Quantity in Stock:29
Availability::
Usually Ships in 24 to 48 Hours
Product Code:
9827557
Qty:
Description
This is a replica of a statue in Szymbark, Poland of one of the Second World War’s most unusual combatants – a 500-pound cigarette-smoking, beer-drinking brown bear. He is depicted here carrying an artillery shell, wearing a cap fashioned from an army belt and a red and white armband with the word "Poland".
"Wojtek the bears unlikely journey to Scotland—and into the annals of military history—began in Iran in 1943, when a group of Polish soldiers adopted an orphaned brown bear cub. The soldiers were members of the Polish 2nd Corps, a military unit consisting of Polish political prisoners released from Soviet gulags by Stalin after the Nazi invasion of the USSR. As they left their places of internment and moved west to join the fight against the Axis, the bear cub they adopted quickly became a popular and important boost to morale. By the time the 2nd Corps reached Egypt and prepared to transfer to the Italian war zone, the now-fully-grown bear had learned to salute and carry supplies and enjoyed drinking beer, eating cigarettes, wrestling with the soldiers, and swimming whenever he had the chance. Going into active combat, however, presented a problem, as soldiers were forbidden from bringing pets into theaters of operation (and by this point the bear had, by all accounts, thoroughly imprinted on the soldiers who had raised him). Thus, the bear was enlisted into the 22nd Artillery Transport Company of the 2nd Corps, and accordingly given an official number, the rank of private, and the name Wojtek—a common Polish name meaning “joyful warrior.” Private Wojtek served for the remainder of the war, most notably during the Battle of Monte Cassino, in which he helped to move crates of ammunition—with two hands, while standing upright, because he thought he was people. The Battle of Monte Cassino opened the road to Rome for the Allies. Wojtek was so popular among his fellow soldiers that a graphic of a bear carrying an artillery shell became the official emblem of the 22nd Company. After the war ended, Wojtek’s company was transferred to southeastern Scotland. Having experienced Soviet repression first-hand, most of the soldiers refused to return to Poland after the Iron Curtain fell, and chose instead to remain in Scotland in exile. Once the 22nd Company was demobilized in 1947, Wojtek was moved to the Edinburgh Zoo. His old Polish brothers-in-arms visited him regularly, as did the scores of new admirers he gained during the remainder of his life. He died in 1963, at the age of 22.
Unveiled on November 7, 2015, another bronze statue in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh commemorates not only the much-beloved bear, but also the Polish soldiers who bravely shared the same harrowing journey and ultimately found refuge in Scotland. Commissioned by the Wojtek Memorial Trust, the project likewise pays tribute to the resultant close ties between Scotland and Poland."
Source:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/soldier-bear-...
Features
Size - 4" H x 2" W
Made of a poly resin material
Accessories for this product...
Wojtek The Bear - Polish War Hero
Sale Price: $12.50
Add
Related Products...
Polish Eagle Decorative Metal Plate - 4.75" Dia.
Tennis Picture Frame - Made in Poland
Polish Paper Plates - Stoneware Design
Polish Kissing Couple Salt And Pepper Set
Our Price:
$24.95
Add
Internet Special $7.50
Add
Our Price:
$2.95
Add
Our Price:
$9.50
Add
PRL's Charm
Polish Felt Ornament - Folk Chickens
Polish Paper Plates - Lowicz Floral Design
Polish Felt Ornament - Hearts - Serce
Our Price:
$18.95
Add
Our Price:
$9.95
Add
Our Price:
$2.95
Add
Our Price:
$5.95
Add
Browse for more products in the same category as this item:
Keepsakes and Memorabilia
>
Other Items
Keepsakes and Memorabilia
>
View All Keepsakes and Memorabilia
Folk Art
>
Ceramic Figurines
Militaria
>
Misc. Militaria
www.polartcenter.com
9539 Jos. Campau
Hamtramck, MI 48212
(313) 874-2242