McCarren Park

What was here before?

This section of Brooklyn was largely rural from the 1600s to the mid-1800s. At the turn of the century, it was mostly industrial, with chemical, varnish and iron works, and cable factories. Immigrants from Eastern Europe, with the largest concentration from Poland, made their homes here and worked in the nearby factories.

How did this site become a square?

Popieluszko Square was acquired by NYC Parks through condemnation between 1903 and 1905. The square as it exists today was built in the 1930s. Soon after the end of World War II, NYC Parks erected a flagpole to honor those who sacrificed their lives in the war. In 1985, the City Council enacted a local law to rename the square after Father Popieluszko.

Two monuments in the square commemorate Father Popieluszko. The granite bust was sculpted by Stanislaw Lutostanski (b. 1950) was dedicated in 1990 on the sixth anniversary of Popieluszko’s death. Shortly afterward, the monument was vandalized in an apparent act of political activism. It was restored and rededicated in 1992, in a ceremony attended by thousands of people.

Another sculpture, called Bound Hands Rising Free, was sculpted by NYC Parks designer Tom Cleveland (b.1952) and was installed in 2000. Both sculptures represent the heroic life of Father Popieluszko and Poland’s struggle for freedom.

Who is this square named for?

This square is named for the late Father Jerzy Popieluszko (1947-1984), a Roman Catholic priest who lived in Poland. He is best remembered for his ardent support of the Polish Solidarity Movement. During the Soviet occupation of Poland, which lasted from the end of World War II until 1989, the Solidarity Movement fought for the personal rights of the Polish people and for Polish independence.

Father Popieluszko vehemently spoke out against the Soviet-controlled government from the pulpit in his small church, Saint Stanislav Kostka, in North Warsaw, Poland. Large numbers of people filled his church to hear his sermons, which were also broadcast over Polish radio. Popieluszko became an extremely popular Polish nationalist. He was arrested on several occasions and warned to limit his sermons solely to religious materials. Boldly ignoring the threats, he continued to publicly reproach the tyrannical government. At one point during the Solidarity Movement, Polish factories went on strike. Popieluszko crossed the police lines, entered a factory and gave communion to the workers in the courtyard.

On October 19, 1984, Popieluszko was kidnapped by the Polish Security Police and was subsequently found beaten and murdered. Public outrage over Popieluszko’s murder turned into to demonstrations and riots, and the perpetrators were later found, tried and convicted.