The ROTARIANS Natural Monument in Szczecin
27.04.2026
On 27 April at 5.30 pm, a solemn ceremony took place at Plac Zwycięstwa in Szczecin, during which the world’s first natural monument bearing the name ‘ROTARIANS’ – two 200-year-old English oaks – was unveiled. The event was part of the celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Szczecin.
The first proposal to establish the “ROTARIAN” natural monument was submitted to the City Council in 2019, based on an expert opinion by the dendrologist Dr Alojzy Kowalczyk. In 2021, a citizens’ legislative committee was formed, which collected over a thousand signatures from Szczecin residents in support of the project, enabling the Szczecin City Council to pass the relevant resolution as early as 2025. It was a long and difficult journey, but we succeeded thanks to our persistence and the help of the newly elected Chair of the City Council, Dr Paweł Bartnik.
The monument was the brainchild of RCS honorary member Maciej Krzeptowski, who was supported from the very beginning by barrister Wojciech Soiński in legal and negotiation matters. In the final and most crucial stage of preparations, Professor Wiesław Paczkowski joined the team, providing vital engineering and logistical support.
An extremely important element of the memorial complex is an information plaque explaining the essence of the Rotary movement. The plaque is durable, made of stainless steel to a design by Remigiusz Kowalski, and was installed on site by RCS President Zbigniew Nagaya and his team.
The monument unveiling ceremony was presided over by Professor Jan Jurga. Among the large gathering of Rotarians, members of partner clubs and residents of Szczecin were District 2231 Governor Greg Gregorczyk and Szczecin City Council Chairman Paweł Bartnik, who, in their speeches, thanked the members of our Club for promoting Szczecin within the Rotary community.