Irena Stankiewicz

She was born as the daughter of the captain of combat engineers Aleksander Stankiewicz (1899–1930) and Stanisława Piszczkowska (1899–1979).

Since the untimely death of her father the six years old Irene lived in the village Korytnica in the Węgrów district with her relative Maria Holder-Eggerowa, owner of Korytnica property, but her mother remained in Warsaw.

The period of the Second World War she spent in Korytnica, continuing her studies and participating in the underground Polish Home Army.

As the most important work of Irena Stankiewicz is considered the woodcut “Matka Boska Akowska” (The Virgin Mary of the Home Army soldiers) which earned 1981 the first prize in London art competition "Home Army in art".

This woodcut image has been repeated many times in the form of metalwork and stained glass windows throughout the country.