Wojtek

{{Short description|Bear in the Polish army (1942–1963)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2025}} {{about|the bear in the Polish army|the given name|Wojciech}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Corporal | name = Wojtek | honorific_suffix = The Soldier Bear | image = Wojtek the bear.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Polish soldier with Wojtek | native_name = Wojtek | native_name_lang = pol | birth_name = | nickname = | birth_date = 1942 | birth_place = Hamadan, Iran | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1963|12|02|1942|04|08}} | death_place = Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland | burial_place = | burial_label = | burial_coordinates =  | allegiance = Poland | branch = 23px Polish Land Forces | service_years = 1943–1945 | rank = Corporal | service_number = 253 | unit = 3522, 22nd Artillery Supply Company, 2nd Polish Corps | commands = | battles = World War II * Battle of Monte Cassino | awards = | memorials = Wojtek Memorial Trust | spouse =  | relations = | other_work = | signature = | signature_size = | signature_alt = | website = {{URL|http://thesoldierbear.com/}} | module = }}

'''Wojtek''' (1942 – 2 December 1963; {{IPA|pl|ˈvɔjtɛk}}; in English sometimes phonetically spelled '''''Voytek''''')<onlyinclude> was a Syrian brown bear.<ref name="Williams">{{cite book|title=From Warsaw to Rome: General Anders' Exiled Polish Army in the Second World War|author=Martin Williams|isbn=978-1-47389-488-4|date=2017|publisher=Pen & Sword Military|quote=One of the most popular recollections of the Polish Army in the East is that of Wojtek, the Syrian Brown Bear who became the mascot of 22 General Transport Company.}}</ref><ref name="Mansolas">{{cite book|title=Monte Cassino January-May 1944: The Legend of the Green Devils|author=Mansolas, Angelos |isbn=978-1-78155-602-3|date=2017|publisher=Fonthill Media|quote=The most unusual soldier of the Battle of Monte Cassino, or any other battle for that matter, was a bear named 'Wojtek'. He was a Syrian brown bear found in Hamedan, Iran in April 1942 by the troops of the newly formed 2nd Polish Corps during their long journey out of the Siberian labour camps through Middle East ''en route'' to Egypt.}}</ref> He was purchased (accounts differ) by Polish soldiers from an Iranian shepherd near Hamedan, Iran, during World War II. Wojtek accompanied the 2nd Polish Corps<ref name=":1">Orr, Aileen (2010). ''Wojtek the Bear: Polish War Hero''. Birlinn Ltd. </ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web |date=19 May 2014 |title=Pomnik legendarnego niedźwiedzia Wojtka stanął w Krakowie |trans-title=Statue of the legendary bear Wojtek unveiled in Krakow |url=http://www.tvp.info/15256579/pomnik-legendarnego-niedzwiedzia-wojtka-stanal-w-krakowie |access-date=24 December 2015 |work=Telewizja Polska |language=pl}}</ref> to Italy, serving under the 22nd Artillery Supply Company.

In 1944, during the Battle of Monte Cassino, Wojtek imitated his human comrades, carrying ammunition crates. He was promoted from private to corporal and became a celebrity with visiting Allied generals and statesmen.<ref name=":0" /> After the war, he was mustered out of the Polish Army and lived out the rest of his life in Scotland at the Edinburgh Zoo.</onlyinclude>

==Life== thumb|left|upright|Wojtek and a Polish soldier

===Adoption=== In the spring of 1942, the newly formed Anders' Army left the Soviet Union for Iran, accompanied by thousands of Polish civilians who had been deported to the Soviet Union following the 1939 Soviet invasion of eastern Poland.

On the journey from Pahlavi to Tehran, Iran, on 8 April 1942, Polish soldiers encountered a young Iranian boy who had found a bear cub whose mother had been shot by hunters.<ref name=":1" /> One of the civilian refugees in their midst, 18-year-old Irena (Inka) Bokiewicz, the great-niece of General Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski, was very taken with the cub. She prompted Lieutenant Anatol Tarnowiecki to buy the young bear, which spent the next three months in a Polish refugee camp established near Tehran, principally under Irena's care.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=O niedźwiedziu, który był polskim żołnierzem |trans-title=The bear who was a Polish soldier |journal=Polonia Włoska — Biuletyn Informacyjny |volume=18 |number=1–2 |date=17 July 2013 |page=24 |url=http://en.calameo.com/read/000823018fce5ff37e1c7 |access-date=24 December 2015 |language=pl}}</ref> In August, the bear was donated to the 2nd Transport Company, which later became the 22nd Artillery Supply Company, and he was named Wojtek by the soldiers.

===Nutrition and growth=== thumb|Wojtek play-wrestling with a Polish soldier Wojtek initially had problems swallowing and was fed condensed milk from an old vodka bottle. He was subsequently given fruit, marmalade, honey, and syrup, and was often rewarded with beer, which became his favourite drink. He later also enjoyed smoking (or eating) cigarettes, as well as drinking coffee in the mornings. He also slept with the other soldiers if they were cold at night.<ref name="cigarettes">{{cite news |title=Wojtek wraca |trans-title=Wojtek returns |newspaper=Polityka |page=11 |date=2 February 2008|language=pl}}</ref><ref name="eating cigarettes">{{cite web |url= http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/what-s-on/smarter-than-the-average-bear-by-far-1-1342563 |title=Smarter than the average bear .. by far |work=Edinburgh Evening News |date=28 March 2007 |access-date=15 August 2014}}</ref> He enjoyed wrestling with the soldiers and was taught to salute when greeted. He became an attraction for soldiers and civilians alike, and soon became an unofficial mascot to all the units stationed nearby. With the 22nd Company, he moved to Iraq, and then through Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Italy.<ref name="Mansolas"/>

Wojtek copied the other soldiers, drinking beer, smoking, and even marching alongside them on his hind legs. Wojtek had his own caregiver, assigned to look after him. The cub grew up while on campaign, and by the time of the Battle of Monte Cassino, he weighed {{convert|90|kg|st lb|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}.<ref name=bbcoutlook>{{citation |work=BBC Outlook |title=The Soldier Bear Who Went to War |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p06vvk2r}}</ref>

===Soldier Wojtek=== thumb|upright|Wojtek with artillery shell: Emblem of 22nd Artillery Supply Company<ref>{{cite web |url= http://suite101.de/article/private-wojtek-alias-voytek-ein-bar-im-dienste-der-armee-a89384 |title='Private Wojtek' alias Voytek, ein Bär im Dienste der Armee |trans-title='Private Wojtek' alias Voytek, a bear in the service of the Army |first=Adele |last=Sansone |work=Suite101 |date=9 July 2013 |access-date=15 August 2014|language=de}}</ref> From Egypt, the Polish II Corps was reassigned to fight alongside the British Eighth Army, famous from North African battles such as El Alamein and from the Italian campaign. Regulations for the British transport ship that was to carry them to Italy forbade mascot and pet animals. To get around this restriction, Wojtek was officially drafted into the Polish Army as a private and listed among the soldiers of the 22nd Artillery Supply Company. Henryk Zacharewicz and Lew Worzowski were assigned as his caretakers.{{cn|date=October 2023}}

[[File:Ammunition box 25 Pounder Grenades, 4 shells.JPG|thumb|left|A standard 25-pounder ammunition crate, which held four shells]] As an enlisted soldier with his own paybook, rank, and serial number, he lived with the other men in tents or in a special wooden crate, which was transported by truck. During the Battle of Monte Cassino, Wojtek helped his unit convey ammunition by carrying {{convert|100|lb|kg|adj=on}} crates of 25-pound artillery shells, never dropping any of them. While this story generated debate over its accuracy, at least one account exists of a British soldier recalling seeing a bear carrying crates of ammunition.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/wojtek-the-bear-that-joined-the-polish-army-and-fought-the-nazis-a-844056.html |title=Wojtek the Bear: The Nazis' Furriest Enemy |website=Spiegel |date=13 July 2012 }}</ref> The bear mimicked the soldiers: when he saw the men lifting crates, he copied them. Wojtek carried boxes that normally required four men, which he would stack onto a truck or other ammunition boxes.<ref>{{cite book |last=Orr |first=Aileen |title=Wojtek the Bear – Polish War Hero |publisher=Birlinn Publishers |date=1 November 2010 |isbn=978-1-84158-845-2 |page=45}}</ref> After the Polish victory, Wojtek became a celebrity among visiting Allied generals and statesmen. This service also earned him promotion to the rank of corporal. In recognition of Wojtek's popularity, a depiction of a bear carrying an artillery shell was adopted as the official emblem of the 22nd Company.<ref name=bbcoutlook/>

===Postwar=== thumb|upright|Wojtek in Britain after the war After the end of World War II in 1945, Wojtek was transported to Berwickshire, Scotland, with the rest of the 22nd Company through the Polish Resettlement Corps. They were stationed at Winfield Airfield on Sunwick Farm, near the village of Hutton, Scottish Borders. Wojtek soon became popular among local civilians and the press, and the Polish-Scottish Association made him an honorary member.

Following demobilisation on 15 November 1947, Wojtek was given to Edinburgh Zoo, where he spent the rest of his life, often visited by journalists and former Polish soldiers, some of whom tossed cigarettes for him to eat, as he did during his time in the army. He still happily responded to being spoken to in Polish, recognizing many of his former unit. Media attention contributed to Wojtek's popularity. He was a frequent guest on BBC television's ''Blue Peter'' programme for children.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/wojtek-soldier-bear-edinburgh/|title=The story of Wojtek – the soldier bear who was promoted to Corporal|date=2017-12-29|work=iNews|access-date=2018-06-22|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Wojtek died 2 December 1963, aged 21 of natural causes, weighing nearly {{convert|500|kg|lb|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}, and reaching over {{convert|1.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}} tall.<ref name="Mansolas2">{{cite book|title=Monte Cassino January-May 1944: The Legend of the Green Devils|author=Mansolas, Angelos |isbn=978-1-78155-602-3|date=2017|publisher=Fonthill Media|quote=At the time of his death, he weighed nearly 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) and over 1.8 metres (5'11 feet) tall.}}</ref>

==Legacy== {{further|List of monuments and memorials to Wojtek}} * The many memorials to the soldier-bear include a plaque within the collection of Imperial War Museum; a sculpture by David Harding in the Sikorski Museum, in London;<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wojtek's sculpture|url=http://wojtekthebear.com/photos/Sculpture.html|access-date=2021-08-30|website=wojtekthebear.com}}</ref> and a wooden sculpture in Weelsby Woods, Grimsby.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/Polish-soldiers-meet-Wojtek-bear-8210-Grimsby-s/story-13697691-detail/story.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140815112051/http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/Polish-soldiers-meet-Wojtek-bear-8210-Grimsby-s/story-13697691-detail/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 August 2014 |title=Polish soldiers meet Wojtek the bear ‒ Grimsby's tribute to Second World War heroes |work=Grimsby Telegraph |date=29 October 2011 |access-date=15 August 2014 }}</ref> * In 2013, the Kraków city council gave permission for the erection of a statue of Wojtek in the city's Jordan Park. It was unveiled on 18 May 2014, the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino.<ref name="polskieradio">{{cite web |url= http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/134028,Krakow-votes-for-WWII-soldier-bear-statue |title=Krakow votes for WWII soldier bear statue |work=Polskie Radio |date=26 April 2013 |access-date=15 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Pilnuj |last=Polski |url=http://wpolityce.pl/historia/195392-niedzwiedz-wojtek-bedzie-mial-swoj-pomnik-w-krakowskim-parku-jordana-zapraszamy-na-niedzielne-uroczystosci-rocznicy-bitwy-o-monte-cassino |title=Niedźwiedź Wojtek będzie miał swój pomnik w krakowskim Parku Jordana |trans-title=Wojtek the Bear will have his monument in Krakow's Jordana Park |publisher=Wpolityce.pl |date=13 May 2014 |access-date=15 August 2014|language=pl}}</ref> * In 2013, the City of Edinburgh Council approved the erection of a bronze statue of Wojtek, by Alan Beattie Herriot, to stand in the city's West Princes Street Gardens.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wojtekmemorialtrust.com/the-statue/|title=The Statue|website=Wojtek Memorial Trust|access-date=2016-03-31|archive-date=26 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426172220/http://www.wojtekmemorialtrust.com/the-statue/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Unveiled in 2015, it presents Wojtek and a fellow Polish Army soldier walking together. An accompanying relief documents Wojtek's journey from Egypt to Scotland with the Polish Army.<ref>{{cite web|first=David |last=McCann |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/prince-street-gardens-statue-of-polish-army-bear-1-2947117 |title=Prince Street Gardens statue of Polish army bear |work=The Scotsman |date=29 May 2013 |access-date=15 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emito.net/kultura/historia/pomnik_niedzwiedzia_wojtka_w_edynburgu_1492722.html |title=Niedźwiedź Wojtek w Princes Street Gardens |trans-title=Wojtek the Bear in Princes Street Gardens |publisher=Emito.net |date=30 September 2013 |access-date=15 August 2014|language=pl}}</ref> * In 2016, a statue of Wojtek was unveiled in Duns, in the Scottish Borders. Wojtek had been stationed at the nearby Winfield Camp in 1946, alongside Polish troops.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gavinton.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Polish-troops-in-Berwickshire-v2.pdf\|title=Polish troops in Berwickshire|publisher=www.gavinton.net|access-date=17 October 2020}}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The statue was donated by the Polish town of Żagań, Duns's twin town, and was unveiled on 26 April 2016, 72 years after the Battle of Monte Cassino, which involved Polish forces, including Wojtek.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/statue-hero-bear-wojtek-unveiled-duns-1477981\|title=Statue of hero bear Wojtek unveiled in Duns|publisher=The Scotsman|access-date=17 October 2020}}</ref> * In 2017, a street in Poznań, Poland, was named after Wojtek. The street, now named ''ulica Kaprala Wojtka'' (Corporal Wojtek Street), leads to the Poznań New Zoo.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Redakcja |date=2017-01-24 |title=Kapral Wojtek - dzielny niedźwiedź ma swoją ulicę w Poznaniu |url=https://gloswielkopolski.pl/kapral-wojtek-dzielny-niedzwiedz-ma-swoja-ulice-w-poznaniu/ar/11723046 |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=Głos Wielkopolski |language=pl-PL}}</ref> * In September 2018 a wooden statue of Wojtek was unveiled in the Poznań New Zoo, funded by Krystyna Wieczorek, the author of a Polish book about Wojtek.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Redakcja |date=2018-09-30 |title=Zoo Poznań: Kapral Wojtek - Niezwykły niedźwiedź ma swój pomnik. W ogrodzie zoologicznym odbyło się oficjalne odsłonięcie |url=https://gloswielkopolski.pl/zoo-poznan-kapral-wojtek-niezwykly-niedzwiedz-ma-swoj-pomnik-w-ogrodzie-zoologicznym-odbylo-sie-oficjalne-odsloniecie/ar/13535350 |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=Głos Wielkopolski |language=pl-PL}}</ref> * In May 2019 a marble statue of Wojtek was unveiled in Cassino, Italy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=S.A |first=Telewizja Polska |title=Monument of Wojtek the Bear unveiled in Italy |url=https://tvpworld.com/42657156/monument-of-wojtek-the-bear-unveiled-in-italy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301231757/https://tvpworld.com/42657156/monument-of-wojtek-the-bear-unveiled-in-italy |archive-date=2022-03-01 |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=tvpworld.com |language=en}}</ref> * In May 2019, a statue of Wojtek was unveiled in Szczecin, Poland.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-23 |title=Miś Wojtek ma pomnik na skwerze swojego imienia. "Jedyny taki na świecie" |url=https://tvn24.pl/trojmiasto/szczecin-pomnik-niedzwiedzia-wojtka-zainstalowany-ra938148-ls2305722 |access-date=2025-11-26 |website=tvn24.pl |language=pl}}</ref> * Since 1 September 2019, the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, a Wojtek the Bear Monument has had a permanent place in Sopot, overlooking the street named after the Battle of Monte Cassino, in which he famously played a role.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://visit.sopot.pl/en/wojtek-the-soldier-bear-honoured-on-monciak/ | title=Wojtek the Soldier Bear honoured on Monciak | date=30 August 2019 }}</ref> * In 2024, the story of Wojtek was adapted into a play by writer Allan Pollock at Coventry's Albany Theater based on his children's book ''The Bear Who Went To War''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4nd3n33yeo |title=The bear who was a private in the Polish army |website=bbc.com |author=Vanessa Pearce |date=30 October 2024}}</ref> * In 2024, the 28-minute animated short film ''A Bear Named Wojtek'' (2023)'','' directed by Iain Gardner, was released and went on to be nominated for 17 awards, including the Animated Short Film category of the Academy Awards.<ref>{{Cite web |title=97th Oscars® Shortlists in 10 Award Categories Announced |url=https://press.oscars.org/news/97th-oscarsr-shortlists-10-award-categories-announced |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=press.oscars.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Gardner |first=Iain |title=A Bear Named Wojtek |date=2024-05-08 |type=Animation, Short |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14904388/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |others=Richard Gadd, Bill Paterson, Shauna Macdonald |publisher=Illuminated Film Company, Wojtek Animation, Animation Garden}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{cite book |last=Anders |first=Władysław |author-link=Władysław Anders |title=An Army in Exile, the Story of the Second Polish Corps |location= London |publisher=Macmillan |year=1949}} * {{cite book |last=Kleczkowski |first=Stefan |title=Poland's first 100,000: Story of the Rebirth of the Polish Army, Navy and Air Force After the September Campaign |location=London & New York |publisher=Hutchinson |year=1945}} * {{cite book |last1=Morgan |first1= Geoffrey |first2= Wiesław A. |last2=Lasocki |title=Soldier Bear |location= London |publisher=Collins |year=1970 |isbn=0-00-211793-2}} * {{cite book |last=Dumon Tak |first=Bibi |title=Soldier Bear |location=Grand Rapids, Michigan |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-8028-5375-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/soldierbear0000dumo }} * {{cite book |last=Orr |first= Aileen |title=Wojtek the Bear: Polish War Hero |location= Edinburgh |publisher= Birlinn Publishers |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-84341-057-7}} * {{cite book |last1=Ivell |first1= Krystyna |last2=Baczor |first2=Vic |title=Wojtek Album |location= London |publisher=Self-published |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-9926327-0-0}} * {{cite book |last=Keller |first=Eric |title=The Bear Soldier |location=Caldwell, Kansas |publisher=Amazon KDP |year=2025 |isbn=979-8263200473}}

==External links== {{Commons category}}

* {{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/7208505.stm |title=Honour sought for 'Soldier Bear' |work=BBC News |date=25 January 2008 |publisher=BBC |location=London }} * [https://random-times.com/2018/07/01/wojtek-the-unusual-polish-soldier-that-drank-beer-and-went-to-war WOJTEK: The unusual Polish soldier that drank beer and went to war]. * {{cite web |url= http://wojtek-soldierbear.weebly.com/ |title=Wojtek The Soldier Bear – In the Ranks of Victors |first=Patryk |last=Polec |work=wojtek-soldierbear.weebly.com |year=2008 }} * {{cite web |url= http://www.wojtekthebear.com/index.html |title=Wojtek the Bear |work=wojtekthebear.com |year=2014 }} * {{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/wojtekthesoldierbear |title=Wojtek – the Soldier Bear – Niedźwiedź Żołnierz |work=Facebook |year=2014 }} A group supporting and publicizing historical projects around the world. * {{cite web |url=http://kresy-siberia.org/muzeum/?lang=en |title=Kresy-Siberia Virtual Museum |work=kresy-siberia.org |year=2014 |access-date=15 August 2014 |archive-date=30 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730080650/https://kresy-siberia.org/muzeum/?lang=en |url-status=dead }} Site devoted to preserving the history into which Wojtek fits. * {{cite news |url= http://www.thespec.com/news-story/2208552-polish-veteran-had-special-comrade/ |title=Polish veteran had special comrade |first=J. |last=Burman |work= The Hamilton Spectator |date=25 June 2011 }} * {{cite web |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15736812 |title=Story of Poland's 'soldier bear' Wojtek turned into film |first=Martin |last=Vennard |work=BBC World Service |date=16 November 2011 }} * {{cite web |url= http://karolak.info.pl/wojtek-niedzwiedz-ktory-zostal-zolnierzem/ |title= Article in Polish with lots of links about Wojtek |access-date= 3 December 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131106055812/http://karolak.info.pl/wojtek-niedzwiedz-ktory-zostal-zolnierzem/ |archive-date= 6 November 2013 |url-status= dead |df= dmy-all }} * [http://culture.pl/en/article/one-photo-one-story-wojtek-the-soldier-bear One Photo One Story: Wojtek the Soldier Bear], Culture.pl. * {{cite web |title=WOJTEK The bear that went to war|url=https://www.kresyfamily.com/8a-wojtek-the-bear.html |website=Kresy Family}} * {{cite web |author1=Sandbrook, Dominic |author2=Holland, Tom | date=23 January 2025 |title=533. Wojtek: The Bear Who Beat the Nazis |url=https://therestishistory.com/533-wojtek-the-bear-who-beat-the-nazis/ |website=The Rest is History (podcast) |access-date=31 January 2025 |language=en |format=Podcast}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wojtek (bear)}} Category:1942 animal births Category:1963 animal deaths Category:Battle of Monte Cassino Category:Bear mascots Category:Polish mascots Category:Army mascots Category:Real-life animal mascots Category:Edinburgh Zoo Category:Hamadan Category:Individual bears in Scotland Category:Military animals of World War II Category:Polish military personnel of World War II Category:Military history of Poland during World War II Category:Military of Scotland Category:Polish Land Forces Category:Polish military traditions Category:Individual animals in Iran Category:Individual animals in Poland Category:Individual brown bears