Olgierd Straszyński

His father was Stanisław Straszyński, an engineer and director of railroad construction, and his mother was Aniela Straszyńska.

[1] He debuted as a conductor in 1930 at the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, and from 1932, he worked at Polskie Radio.

[1] During the German occupation of Poland in World War II, he joined the Polish resistance movement.

He participated in hiding of Polish cultural property, including manuscripts of Fryderyk Chopin and Stanisław Moniuszko, from the Germans, conducted secret symphonic concerts, published Polish patriotic songs, and during the Warsaw Uprising, he was the music director of the underground Błyskawica radiostation.

[1] After the fall of the uprising he was deported by the Germans to forced labour in Essen, however, he eventually escaped and returned to Poland.