In the centre of Cięcina there is a stone statue that commemorates the people who died in Cięcina during the Second World War. Cięcina was located on the line where the attack was predicted to happen. The village was registered in the pre-war plans concerning the fortifications in the carpathian line that run along the border with Slovakia and it consisted of defensive locations Węgierska Górka - Korbielów Krzyżowa. The location was considered to be the most suitable to defend against the potential attackers. Despite the huge involvement of the inhabitants in the workings to strengthen the fortifications on Brańków mount, the workings were stopped due to the lack of financial resources, appropriate materials and equipment.
Lack of time played the decisive role in stopping such a huge undertaking. The defensive line was limited to five defensive forts in the area of Węgierska Górka. The positions were given to two companies of highland infantry form battalion in Vilnius. The vicinity of Cięcia was supposed to be defended by the 151 Battery of Highland Artillery. Eventually it turned out, that the charging forces of 7th Bavarian Division of Infantry were more powerful than humble Polish defense. Therefore, on 3th Septembe,r after heroic fight, Polish soldiers lost their positions. After fighting, 9 Polish soldiers were buried in the cemetery in Cisiec. They were the first casualties of the Second World War.
From the beginning of its rule, the invader imposed its own limitations and restrictions and eradicated all signs of Polish identity. The school, polish newspapers and signs were removed. The curfew was also imposed. The limited food rations were the most painful. This situation forced locals to smuggling and contraband. They also opposed to the high crops contracts of their own cultivation. They often paid for it with their own lives. At the same time, the border with Slovakia was close so the local people were involved in guerillas activities. During the occupation the clandestine network of liaisons and couriers was used to transfer refugees and intelligence materials.
A lot of guerillas and soldiers, who were in the western Polish Army, were saved by heroic actions of Cięcina inhabitants like Biegun Franciszek, Piela or the scout activist Jan Wojciuch. Unfortunately, only a few of them survived. The invader dealt with all kinds of insubordination and opposition bloodily. Through all this time, Hitler administration carried out, as well as in other regions, exterminations to eradicate Poles. The local intellectuals were arrested, people were taken out to work in Nazi Germany or concentration camps. There were also local executions.
A post-war initiative was taken in commemorating the causalities of the Second World War. The first step was to make “a list” of all causalities. Therefore, the symbolic statue was erected in the form of granite rock with the memorial plaque of the names as a tribute to all heroes. So far, there have been 27 names of the people who sacrificed their lives for the country independence. The distinctive feature of the statue is the fact that the memory is eternal and the list of causalities of fascist terror in Cięcina cannot be finished. The whole history of local heroism has not been revealed yet.
