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{{Short description|Syrian brown bear cub adopted in Iran by Polish soldiers during World War II}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Wojtek
| honorific_suffix = The Soldier Bear
| image = Wojtek the bear.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| alt =
| caption = Polish soldier with Wojtek in 1942
| native_name =
| native_name_lang = pol
| birth_name =
| nickname =
| birth_date = 1942
| birth_place = [[Hamadan]], Iran
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1963|12|02|1942|04|08}}
| death_place = [[Edinburgh Zoo]], Scotland
| placeofburial =
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial_coordinates = 
| allegiance = Poland
| branch = [[File:Flag of the Polish Land Forces.svg|23px]] [[Polish Land Forces]]
| serviceyears = 1943–1945
| rank = [[File:Kapral.png|10px]] [[Corporal#Poland|Kapral]]
| servicenumber =
| unit = 3522, 22nd Artillery Supply Company, [[II Corps (Poland)]]
| commands =
| battles = [[World War II]]
*[[Battle of Monte Cassino]]
| battles_label =
| awards =
| memorials = [[Wojtek Memorial Trust]]
| spouse = 
| relations =
| laterwork =
| signature =
| signature_size =
| signature_alt =
| website = {{URL|thesoldierbear.com}}
| module =
}}

'''Wojtek''' (1942 – 2 December 1963; {{IPA-pl|ˈvɔjtɛk}}; in English, sometimes spelled '''Voytek''' and pronounced as such) was a [[Syrian brown bear]]<ref name="Williams">{{cite book|title=From Warsaw to Rome: General Anders' Exiled Polish Army in the Second World War|author=Martin Williams|isbn=978-1-47389-488-4|date=2017|publisher=PEN & SWORD MILITARY|quote=One of the most popular recollections of the Polish Army in the East is that of Wojtek, the Syrian Brown Bear who became the mascot of 22 General Transport Company.}}</ref><ref name="Mansolas">{{cite book|title=Monte Cassino January-May 1944: The Legend of the Green Devils|author=Angelos Mansolas|isbn=978-1-78155-602-3|date=2017|publisher=Fonthill Media|quote=The most unusual soldier of the Battle of Monte Cassino, or any other battle for that matter, was a bear named 'Wojtek'. He was a Syrian brown bear found in Iran in April 1942 by the troops of the newly formed Polish II Corps during their long journey out of the Siberian labour camps through Middle East ''en route'' to Egypt.}}</ref> (''Ursus arctos syriacus'') bought, as a young cub, at a railway station in [[Hamadan]], Iran, by [[II Corps (Poland)|Polish II Corps]] soldiers who had been evacuated from the [[Soviet Union]]. In order to provide for his rations and transportation, he was eventually enlisted officially as a soldier with the rank of [[Private_(rank)|private]], and was subsequently promoted to [[corporal]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.tvp.info/15256579/pomnik-legendarnego-niedzwiedzia-wojtka-stanal-w-krakowie |title=Pomnik legendarnego niedźwiedzia Wojtka stanął w Krakowie |trans-title=Statue of the legendary bear Wojtek unveiled in Krakow |work=[[Telewizja Polska]] |date=19 May 2014 |access-date=24 December 2015 |language=pl}}</ref>

He accompanied the bulk of the II Corps to Italy, serving with the 22nd Artillery Supply Company. During the [[Battle of Monte Cassino]], in [[Italy]] in 1944, Wojtek helped move crates of ammunition and became a celebrity with visiting Allied generals and statesmen. After the war he was mustered out of the Polish Army and lived out the rest of his life at the [[Edinburgh Zoo]] in Scotland.

==Life==
[[File:Polish Soldier in Iran wojtek.jpeg|thumb|left|upright|Wojtek and a Polish soldier]]

In the spring of 1942 the newly formed [[Anders' Army]] left the [[Soviet Union]] for Iran, accompanied by thousands of Polish civilians who had been deported to the Soviet Union following the 1939 [[Soviet invasion of Poland|Soviet invasion of eastern Poland]]. At a railroad station in [[Hamadan]], Iran, on 8 April 1942, Polish soldiers encountered a young Iranian boy who had found a bear cub whose mother had been shot by hunters. One of the civilian refugees in their midst, eighteen-year-old Irena (Inka) Bokiewicz, the great-niece of General [[Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski]], was very taken with the cub. She prompted Lieutenant Anatol Tarnowiecki to buy the young bear, which spent the next three months in a Polish refugee camp established near [[Tehran]], principally under Irena's care.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=O niedźwiedziu, który był polskim żołnierzem |trans-title=The bear who was a Polish soldier |journal=Polonia Włoska — Biuletyn Informacyjny |volume=18 |number=1–2 |date=17 July 2013 |page=24 |url=http://en.calameo.com/read/000823018fce5ff37e1c7 |access-date=24 December 2015 |language=pl}}</ref> In August, the bear was donated to the 2nd Transport Company, which later became the 22nd Artillery Supply Company, and he was named Wojtek by the soldiers. The name ''Wojtek'' is the [[nickname]], [[diminutive]] form, or [[hypocorism]] of "[[Wojciech]]" (Happy Warrior), an old [[Slavic name]] still common in Poland.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.behindthename.com/name/wojciech |title=Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Wojciech |work=Behind the Name |year=2014 |access-date=15 August 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Polish 22 Transport Artillery Company watch as one of their comrades play wrestles with Wojtek their mascot bear during their service in the Middle East..jpg|thumb|Wojtek play-wrestling with a Polish soldier]]
Wojtek initially had problems swallowing and was fed [[condensed milk]] from an old vodka bottle. He was subsequently given fruit, marmalade, honey, and syrup, and was often rewarded with beer, which became his favourite drink. He later also enjoyed smoking (or eating) cigarettes, as well as drinking coffee in the mornings. He also slept with the other soldiers if they were ever cold at night.<ref name="cigarettes">{{cite news |title=Wojtek wraca |trans-title=Wojtek returns |newspaper=[[Polityka]] |page=11 |date=2 February 2008|language=pl}}</ref><ref name="eating cigarettes">{{cite web |url= http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/what-s-on/smarter-than-the-average-bear-by-far-1-1342563 |title=Smarter than the average bear .. by far |work=[[Edinburgh Evening News]] |date=28 March 2007 |access-date=15 August 2022}}</ref> He enjoyed wrestling with the soldiers and was taught to salute when greeted. He became an attraction for soldiers and civilians alike, and soon became an unofficial [[mascot]] to all the units stationed nearby. With the 22nd Company, he moved to Iraq, and then through Syria, [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]], and Egypt.<ref name="Mansolas"/>

Wojtek copied the other soldiers, drinking beer, smoking and even marching alongside them on his hind legs because he saw them do so. Wojtek had his own caregiver, assigned to look after him. The cub grew up while on campaign, and by the time of the [[Battle of Monte Cassino]] he weighed {{convert|90|kg|st lb|abbr=out|sigfig=2}}.<ref name=bbcoutlook>{{citation |work=BBC Outlook |title=The Soldier Bear Who Went to War |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p06vvk2r}}</ref>

===Private Wojtek===
[[File:The badge of the 22nd Artillery Support Company of the 2nd Polish Corps.jpg|thumb|upright|Wojtek with artillery shell: Emblem of 22nd Artillery Supply Company<ref>{{cite web |url= http://suite101.de/article/private-wojtek-alias-voytek-ein-bar-im-dienste-der-armee-a89384 |title='Private Wojtek' alias Voytek, ein Bär im Dienste der Armee |trans-title='Private Wojtek' alias Voytek, a bear in the service of the Army |first=Adele |last=Sansone |work=Suite101 |date=9 July 2013 |access-date=15 August 2014|language=de}}</ref>]]
From Egypt, the [[Polish II Corps]] was reassigned to fight alongside the [[Eighth Army (United Kingdom)|British Eighth Army]] in the [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian campaign]]. Regulations for the British transport ship, which was to carry them to Italy, forbade mascot and pet animals. To get around this restriction, Wojtek was officially drafted into the Polish Army as a [[private (rank)|private]] and listed among the soldiers of the 22nd Artillery Supply Company. Henryk Zacharewicz and Dymitr Szawlugo were assigned as his caretakers.

[[File:Ammunition box 25 Pounder Grenades, 4 shells.JPG|thumb|left|A standard [[Ordnance QF 25-pounder|25-pounder]] ammunition crate, which held four shells]]
As an enlisted soldier with his own paybook, rank, and serial number, he lived with the other men in tents or in a special wooden crate, which was transported by truck. During the [[Battle of Monte Cassino]], Wojtek helped his unit to convey ammunition by carrying {{convert|100|lb|kg|adj=on}} crates of [[Ordnance QF 25-pounder|25-pound artillery]] shells, never dropping any of them. While this story generated controversy over its accuracy, at least one account exists of a British soldier recalling seeing a bear carrying crates of ammo.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/wojtek-the-bear-that-joined-the-polish-army-and-fought-the-nazis-a-844056.html |title=Wojtek the Bear: The Nazis' Furriest Enemy |website=Spiegel |date=13 July 2012 }}</ref> The bear mimicked the soldiers: when he saw the men lifting crates, he copied them. Wojtek carried boxes that normally required four men, which he would stack onto a truck or other ammunition boxes.<ref>{{cite book |last=Orr |first=Aileen |title=Wojtek the Bear – Polish War Hero |publisher=Birlinn Publishers |date=1 November 2010 |isbn=978-1-84158-845-2 |page=45}}</ref> This service at Monte Cassino earned him promotion to the rank of [[corporal (rank)|corporal]]. In recognition of Wojtek's popularity, a depiction of a bear carrying an artillery shell was adopted as the official emblem of the 22nd Company.<ref name=bbcoutlook/>

===Post war===
[[File:Wojtek at Winfield Aerodrome on Sunwick Farm, near Hutton in Berwickshire after the war.jpg|thumb|upright|Wojtek in Britain after the war]]
After the end of World War II in 1945, Wojtek was transported to [[Berwickshire]], [[Scotland]], with the rest of the 22nd Company. They were stationed at Winfield Airfield on Sunwick Farm, near the village of [[Hutton, Scottish Borders]]. Wojtek soon became popular among local civilians and the press, and the Polish-Scottish Association made him an honorary member.

Following demobilisation on 15 November 1947, Wojtek was given to [[Edinburgh Zoo]], where he spent the rest of his life, often visited by journalists and former Polish soldiers, some of whom tossed cigarettes for him to eat, as he did during his time in the army. Media attention contributed to Wojtek's popularity. He was a frequent guest on BBC television's ''[[Blue Peter]]'' programme for children.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/travel/wojtek-soldier-bear-edinburgh/|title=The story of Wojtek – the soldier bear who was promoted to Corporal|date=2017-12-29|work=iNews|access-date=2018-06-22|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Wojtek died in December 1963, at the age of 21, weighing nearly {{convert|500|kg|lb|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}, and was over {{convert|1.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}} tall.<ref name="Mansolas2">{{cite book|title=Monte Cassino January-May 1944: The Legend of the Green Devils|author=Angelos Mansolas|isbn=978-1-78155-602-3|date=2017|publisher=Fonthill Media|quote=At the time of his death, he weighed nearly 500 kilograms (1,100 lb) and was over 1.8 metres (5'11 feet) tall.}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
* The many memorials to the soldier-bear include a plaque in the [[Imperial War Museum]], in London; a sculpture by [[David Harding (artist)|David Harding]] in the [[Sikorski Museum]], in London;<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wojtek's sculpture|url=http://wojtekthebear.com/photos/Sculpture.html|access-date=2021-08-30|website=wojtekthebear.com}}</ref> and a wooden sculpture in [[Weelsby Woods]], [[Grimsby]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/Polish-soldiers-meet-Wojtek-bear-8210-Grimsby-s/story-13697691-detail/story.html |title=Polish soldiers meet Wojtek the bear ‒ Grimsby's tribute to Second World War heroes |work=[[Grimsby Telegraph]] |date=29 October 2011 |access-date=15 August 2022}}</ref>
* In 2013, the [[Kraków]] city council gave permission for the erection of a statue of Wojtek in the city's [[Jordan Park]]. It was unveiled on 18 May 2014, the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino.<ref name="polskieradio">{{cite web |url= http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/134028,Krakow-votes-for-WWII-soldier-bear-statue |title=Krakow votes for WWII soldier bear statue |work=[[Polskie Radio]] |date=26 April 2013 |access-date=15 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Pilnuj |last=Polski |url=http://wpolityce.pl/historia/195392-niedzwiedz-wojtek-bedzie-mial-swoj-pomnik-w-krakowskim-parku-jordana-zapraszamy-na-niedzielne-uroczystosci-rocznicy-bitwy-o-monte-cassino |title=Niedźwiedź Wojtek będzie miał swój pomnik w krakowskim Parku Jordana |trans-title=Wojtek the Bear will have his monument in Krakow's Jordana Park |publisher=Wpolityce.pl |date=13 May 2014 |access-date=15 August 2014|language=pl}}</ref>
* In 2013, the [[City of Edinburgh Council]] approved the erection of a bronze statue of Wojtek, by Alan Beattie Herriot, to stand in the city's West [[Princes Street Gardens]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wojtekmemorialtrust.com/the-statue/|title=The Statue|website=Wojtek Memorial Trust|access-date=2016-03-31}}</ref> Unveiled in 2015, it presents Wojtek and a fellow Polish Army soldier walking together. An accompanying [[relief]] documents Wojtek's journey from Egypt to Scotland with the Polish Army.<ref>{{cite web|first=David |last=McCann |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/prince-street-gardens-statue-of-polish-army-bear-1-2947117 |title=Prince Street Gardens statue of Polish army bear |work=The Scotsman |date=29 May 2013 |access-date=15 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emito.net/kultura/historia/pomnik_niedzwiedzia_wojtka_w_edynburgu_1492722.html |title=Niedźwiedź Wojtek w Princes Street Gardens |trans-title=Wojtek the Bear in Princes Street Gardens |publisher=Emito.net |date=30 September 2013 |access-date=15 August 2014|language=pl}}</ref>
* In 2016 a statue of Wojtek was unveiled in [[Duns, Scottish Borders|Duns]], in the [[Scottish Borders]]. Wojtek had been stationed at the nearby Winfield Camp in 1946, alongside Polish troops.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gavinton.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Polish-troops-in-Berwickshire-v2.pdf\|title=Polish troops in Berwickshire|publisher=www.gavinton.net|access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref> The statue was donated by the Polish town of [[Żagań]], Duns' twin town, and was unveiled on 26 April 2016, 72 years after the [[Battle of Monte Cassino]], which involved Polish forces, including Wojtek.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/statue-hero-bear-wojtek-unveiled-duns-1477981\|title=Statue of hero bear Wojtek unveiled in Duns|publisher=The Scotsman|access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref>
* In 2017 a street in [[Poznań]], Poland was named after Wojtek. The street, now named Ulica Kaprala Wojtka ("Corporal Wojtek's Street) leads up to the Poznań New Zoo.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Redakcja |date=2017-01-24 |title=Kapral Wojtek - dzielny niedźwiedź ma swoją ulicę w Poznaniu |url=https://gloswielkopolski.pl/kapral-wojtek-dzielny-niedzwiedz-ma-swoja-ulice-w-poznaniu/ar/11723046 |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=Głos Wielkopolski |language=pl-PL}}</ref>
* In September 2018 a wooden statue of Wojtek was unveiled in the Poznań New Zoo, funded by Krystyna Wieczorek, the author of a Polish book about Wojtek. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Redakcja |date=2018-09-30 |title=Zoo Poznań: Kapral Wojtek - Niezwykły niedźwiedź ma swój pomnik. W ogrodzie zoologicznym odbyło się oficjalne odsłonięcie |url=https://gloswielkopolski.pl/zoo-poznan-kapral-wojtek-niezwykly-niedzwiedz-ma-swoj-pomnik-w-ogrodzie-zoologicznym-odbylo-sie-oficjalne-odsloniecie/ar/13535350 |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=Głos Wielkopolski |language=pl-PL}}</ref>
* In May 2019 a marble statue of Wojtek was unveiled in [[Cassino]], Italy. <ref>{{Cite web |last=S.A |first=Telewizja Polska |title=Monument of Wojtek the Bear unveiled in Italy |url=https://tvpworld.com/42657156/monument-of-wojtek-the-bear-unveiled-in-italy |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=tvpworld.com |language=en}}</ref>

{{Gallery
|title=Monuments to Wojtek in Poland
|width=160 | height=170
|align=center
|File:Niedziwedz Wojtek pomnik park jordana krakow.JPG
|In [[Jordan Park]], [[Kraków]]
|File:Zagan Bear Wojtek monument 2017 P01.jpg
|In [[Żagań]]
|File:Szczecin Pomnik Misia Wojtka.jpg
|In [[Szczecin]]
|File:Miś Wojtek na Konwiktorskiej.jpg
|In the [[Warsaw New Town|Nowe Miasto]] neighbourhood of [[Warsaw]]
|File:Pomnik Misia Wojtka przy przedszkolu jego imienia na Ochocie.jpg
|Near a preschool named after him in the [[Ochota]] district of Warsaw
|File:Miś Wojtek w Sopocie.jpg
|Unveiling of Wojtek's statue in [[Sopot]]
|File:Gmina Stężyca, Poland - panoramio (30).jpg
|In [[Szymbark, Pomeranian Voivodeship|Szymbark]]
}}

{{Gallery
|title=Monuments to Wojtek in the United Kingdom
|width=160 | height=170
|align=center
|File:Wojtek Polish Bear plaque.jpg |Plaque in the [[Imperial War Museum]], [[London]]
|File:The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum, July 2015 09.jpg|Sculpture by David Harding in the [[Sikorski Museum]], London
|File:Wojtek (bear) statue in Princes Street Gardens.jpg|Memorial statue, West Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2022
|File:Wojtek_statue_in_Duns_—_Geograph-5305348-by-Jim-Barton.jpg|In [[Duns, Scottish Borders|Duns]], [[Scotland]]
}}

==See also==
*[[History of Edinburgh Zoo]]
*[[List of individual bears]]
*[[Poles in the United Kingdom#Private Wojtek|Poles in the United Kingdom]]
*[[Polish Armed Forces in the East]]
*[[Polish Armed Forces in the West]]
*[[Polish Resettlement Corps]]
*[[Wojtek Memorial Trust]]
*[[Winnipeg (bear)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Anders |first=Władysław |author-link=Władysław Anders |title=An Army in Exile, the Story of the Second Polish Corps |location= London |publisher=Macmillan |year=1949}}
* {{cite book |last=Kleczkowski |first=Stefan |title=Poland's first 100,000: Story of the Rebirth of the Polish Army, Navy and Air Force After the September Campaign |location=London & New York |publisher=Hutchinson |year=1945}}
* {{cite book |last1=Morgan |first1= Geoffrey |first2= Wiesław A. |last2=Lasocki |title=Soldier Bear |location= London |publisher=Collins |year=1970 |isbn=0-00-211793-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Dumon Tak |first=Bibi |title=Soldier Bear |location=Grand Rapids, Michigan |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. |year=2011 |isbn=978-0-8028-5375-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/soldierbear0000dumo }}
* {{cite book |last=Orr |first= Aileen |title=Wojtek the Bear: Polish War Hero |location= Edinburgh |publisher= Birlinn Publishers |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-84341-057-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Ivell |first1= Krystyna |last2=Baczor |first2=Vic |title=Wojtek Album |location= London |publisher=Self-published |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-9926327-0-0}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Wojtek (soldier bear)}}

* {{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/7208505.stm |title=Honour sought for 'Soldier Bear' |work=[[BBC News]] |date=25 January 2008 |publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] |location=[[London, England|London]] }}
*[https://random-times.com/2018/07/01/wojtek-the-unusual-polish-soldier-that-drank-beer-and-went-to-war WOJTEK: The unusual Polish soldier that drank beer and went to war].
* {{cite web |url= http://wojtek-soldierbear.weebly.com/ |title=Wojtek The Soldier Bear – In the Ranks of Victors |first=Patryk |last=Polec |work=wojtek-soldierbear.weebly.com |year=2008 }}
* {{cite web |url= http://www.wojtekthebear.com/index.html |title=Wojtek the Bear |work=wojtekthebear.com |year=2014 }}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/wojtekthesoldierbear |title=Wojtek – the Soldier Bear – Niedźwiedź Żołnierz |work=Facebook |year=2014 }} A group supporting and publicizing historical projects around the world.
* {{cite web |url= http://kresy-siberia.org/muzeum/?lang=en |title=Kresy-Siberia Virtual Museum |work=kresy-siberia.org |year=2014 }} Site devoted to preserving the history into which Wojtek fits.
* {{cite news |url= http://www.thespec.com/news-story/2208552-polish-veteran-had-special-comrade/ |title=Polish veteran had special comrade |first=J. |last=Burman |work= [[The Hamilton Spectator]] |date=25 June 2011 }}
* {{cite web |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15736812 |title=Story of Poland's 'soldier bear' Wojtek turned into film |first=Martin |last=Vennard |work=BBC World Service |date=16 November 2011 }}
* {{cite web |url= http://karolak.info.pl/wojtek-niedzwiedz-ktory-zostal-zolnierzem/ |title= Article in Polish with lots of links about Wojtek |access-date= 3 December 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131106055812/http://karolak.info.pl/wojtek-niedzwiedz-ktory-zostal-zolnierzem/ |archive-date= 6 November 2013 |url-status= dead |df= dmy-all }}
* [http://culture.pl/en/article/one-photo-one-story-wojtek-the-soldier-bear One Photo One Story: Wojtek the Soldier Bear], Culture.pl.

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wojtek (bear)}}
[[Category:1942 animal births]]
[[Category:1963 animal deaths]]
[[Category:Battle of Monte Cassino]]
[[Category:Bear mascots]]
[[Category:Edinburgh Zoo]]
[[Category:Hamadan]]
[[Category:Individual animals in Scotland]]
[[Category:Individual bears]]
[[Category:Military animals of World War II]]
[[Category:Military history of Poland during World War II]]
[[Category:Military of Scotland]]
[[Category:Polish Land Forces]]
[[Category:Polish military traditions]]
[[Category:Individual animals in Iran]]
[[Category:Individual animals in Poland]]

Wojtek (bear) - Revision history

Bot: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.