Statesman Piłsudski's sarcophagus returns from restoration
PR dla Zagranicy
Victoria Bieniek
01.08.2018 15:20
A metal sarcophagus which houses the coffin of Polish statesman Józef Piłsudski has been restored and returned to the cathedral at Kraków's Wawel hill, the final resting place for many of Poland's greats.
The sarcophagus after conservation work. Photo: PAP/Jacek Bednarczyk
The conservation works on the sarcophagus were the first since it was made in 1935.
It is made of brass sheets placed over a steel frame.
It had become rusty but has been restored to as-new condition, according to the people who worked on preserving the sarcophagus.
It resembles the simple coffins in which soldiers are often buried, and encases a well-preserved coffin and Piłsudski's embalmed body.
On November 11, 1918, when an armistice ending World War I was signed, Piłsudski arrived in Warsaw, announcing the country's independence after more than a century of partitions and foreign rule.
(vb/pk)