World War II cemetery in Ożarów Mazowiecki, World War II cemetery in Ożarów Mazowiecki, Poland

The World War II cemetery in Ożarów Mazowiecki holds nearly a thousand Polish soldiers buried in rows of simple stone and concrete markers on well-maintained ground. A tall wooden cross stands at the center, flanked by trees and enclosed by a low fence along Umiastowska Street.

The cemetery was established in 1940 as a war cemetery for 982 officers and soldiers killed in the battles of Ożarów and Ołtarzew on 12 and 13 September 1939. It was designed by landscape architect and gardener Zygmunt Hellwig on a cross-shaped plan, with a 12-metre birch cross at the centre. The birch crosses on the graves were later replaced by concrete ones.

The cemetery was laid out on a cross plan with a 12-metre birch cross at its centre, and the graves were originally marked with birch crosses, later replaced by concrete ones. Among those buried are Roman Olędzki, Wojciech Durek, Witold Zdaniewicz, Marian Buczek, Zbigniew Witold Złotnicki and Andrzej Kolikowski.

The cemetery is easily reached via a small path from Umiastowska Street near the town center and remains open to visitors at all times. The flat terrain makes it straightforward to walk around and view all the graves without difficulty.

On All Souls' Day in 1942, 1943 and 1944, theatre scenographer Marian Jasielski, then living in the area, designed the decorations for the 12-metre birch cross: a black sash, an eagle and the Virtuti Militari cross hung on its arms, with pylons holding burning candles on either side.