Polish Cemetery
In Doulab, Tehran
In 1942, as a result of the evacuation of Polish civilian and military refugees from the territory of the USSR under the command of General Władysław Anders, more than 120,000 Poles arrived in Iran. Among the evacuees were more than 77,000 soldiers, 43,000 civilians and among them about 20,000 children.
The Polish cemetery is located in the eastern part of Tehran and constitutes more than half of the area of the Catholic cemetery. The cemetery is the largest burial site for Polish refugees from World War II on Iranian soil. The Polish section of the Doulab Catholic Cemetery was established in 1942, with 1,937 people buried there, including 409 soldiers and 1,528 civilians.
The stories of those buried here are part of the dramatic history of Poland during the Second World War. Before the outbreak of war, most of them lived in eastern Poland. After the joint aggression of Germany and the Soviet Union against Poland in September 1939, these areas came under Soviet occupation. In the occupied territories, the Soviet authorities carried out mass deportations of Polish citizens to labour camps and places of forced settlement deep inside the Soviet Union.
When Germany attacked the USSR in June 1941, the Westerners offered to help the Soviets. In London on 30 July 1941, the Prime Minister of the Polish government-in-exile, General Władysław Sikorski, and the USSR Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Ivan Mayski, signed a treaty to "give each other all kinds of help and support in the war against Nazi Germany". As a result of the signed treaty, the Soviet government announced an 'amnesty' for Polish citizens held in prisons, labour camps and in exile in the USSR, and it was decided to create a Polish Army in the USSR, under the command of General Władysław Anders. The Polish Army was initially formed in the south of Russia, and then, at the beginning of 1942, was transferred to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
In the period 1942-43, thanks to the strenuous efforts of General Anders and on the basis of arrangements with the British and Soviet sides, Polish refugees were gradually evacuated from the territory of the USSR to Iran. The evacuation of Polish refugees during the entire Stalinist period was the largest exodus in numbers of former prisoners of camps and exiles outside the USSR.
The health of a significant proportion of the refugees was very poor. As a result of exhaustion and illness, many of them died. This is evidenced today by the numerous Polish cemeteries in Iran, where a total of 2,806 Polish citizens, including 650 military personnel, who died between 1942 and 1944, are buried. In addition to the Doulab cemetery, Polish graves can also be found in the Jewish and British cemeteries in Tehran and in the Christian cemeteries in Bandar Anzali, Ahwaz, Mashhad and Isfahan. Polish graves were also located in other cities of Iran, including the now defunct cemeteries in Kazvin and Khorramshahr.
The Polish section of the Doulab cemetery also contains about 50 graves of Poles who died in Tehran in the post-war period. In the international section of the cemetery, General Antoni Radziwill de Borowski, who died in 1898, is buried, as well as Wladyslaw Horodecki, a prominent architect who died in 1930.
The story of the Polish soldiers and refugees who reached Iran in 1942 continued. Civilians, including children, were gradually evacuated from Iran to India, East Africa, New Zealand and Mexico, among others. A few remained in Iran - these were mainly women who had married Iranians. Military units were gradually moved to Iraq, Syria and Palestine. The II Polish Corps, formed there in mid-1943, was then redeployed to Italy. It took part in the Battle of Monte Cassino, the liberation of Ancona and Bologna. As in Iran, there are Polish war cemeteries in Italy, where 4,000 fallen soldiers are buried.
After the end of the Second World War, many soldiers of the Polish Second Corps were unable to return to their country and their homes. They came from the eastern areas of pre-war Poland, which had been incorporated into the Soviet Union. Some settled in the United Kingdom, while many emigrated to the USA, Canada, Australia and South American countries. Of those who decided to return to their homeland, around 900 were re-arrested by the Soviet authorities and deported with their families to Siberia. They were only able to return from exile after 1956.
The Polish cemetery is located in the eastern part of Tehran and constitutes more than half of the area of the Catholic cemetery. The cemetery is the largest burial site for Polish refugees from World War II on Iranian soil. The Polish section of the Doulab Catholic Cemetery was established in 1942, with 1,937 people buried there, including 409 soldiers and 1,528 civilians.
The stories of those buried here are part of the dramatic history of Poland during the Second World War. Before the outbreak of war, most of them lived in eastern Poland. After the joint aggression of Germany and the Soviet Union against Poland in September 1939, these areas came under Soviet occupation. In the occupied territories, the Soviet authorities carried out mass deportations of Polish citizens to labour camps and places of forced settlement deep inside the Soviet Union.
When Germany attacked the USSR in June 1941, the Westerners offered to help the Soviets. In London on 30 July 1941, the Prime Minister of the Polish government-in-exile, General Władysław Sikorski, and the USSR Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Ivan Mayski, signed a treaty to "give each other all kinds of help and support in the war against Nazi Germany". As a result of the signed treaty, the Soviet government announced an 'amnesty' for Polish citizens held in prisons, labour camps and in exile in the USSR, and it was decided to create a Polish Army in the USSR, under the command of General Władysław Anders. The Polish Army was initially formed in the south of Russia, and then, at the beginning of 1942, was transferred to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
In the period 1942-43, thanks to the strenuous efforts of General Anders and on the basis of arrangements with the British and Soviet sides, Polish refugees were gradually evacuated from the territory of the USSR to Iran. The evacuation of Polish refugees during the entire Stalinist period was the largest exodus in numbers of former prisoners of camps and exiles outside the USSR.
The health of a significant proportion of the refugees was very poor. As a result of exhaustion and illness, many of them died. This is evidenced today by the numerous Polish cemeteries in Iran, where a total of 2,806 Polish citizens, including 650 military personnel, who died between 1942 and 1944, are buried. In addition to the Doulab cemetery, Polish graves can also be found in the Jewish and British cemeteries in Tehran and in the Christian cemeteries in Bandar Anzali, Ahwaz, Mashhad and Isfahan. Polish graves were also located in other cities of Iran, including the now defunct cemeteries in Kazvin and Khorramshahr.
The Polish section of the Doulab cemetery also contains about 50 graves of Poles who died in Tehran in the post-war period. In the international section of the cemetery, General Antoni Radziwill de Borowski, who died in 1898, is buried, as well as Wladyslaw Horodecki, a prominent architect who died in 1930.
The story of the Polish soldiers and refugees who reached Iran in 1942 continued. Civilians, including children, were gradually evacuated from Iran to India, East Africa, New Zealand and Mexico, among others. A few remained in Iran - these were mainly women who had married Iranians. Military units were gradually moved to Iraq, Syria and Palestine. The II Polish Corps, formed there in mid-1943, was then redeployed to Italy. It took part in the Battle of Monte Cassino, the liberation of Ancona and Bologna. As in Iran, there are Polish war cemeteries in Italy, where 4,000 fallen soldiers are buried.
After the end of the Second World War, many soldiers of the Polish Second Corps were unable to return to their country and their homes. They came from the eastern areas of pre-war Poland, which had been incorporated into the Soviet Union. Some settled in the United Kingdom, while many emigrated to the USA, Canada, Australia and South American countries. Of those who decided to return to their homeland, around 900 were re-arrested by the Soviet authorities and deported with their families to Siberia. They were only able to return from exile after 1956.
