Polish Enigma codebreaker commemorated in UK

Henryk Zygalski, who jointly with fellow mathematicians Marian Rejewski and Jerzy Różycki cracked Germany’s encrypted military communications during World War II, lived in Chichester after the war.

However, due to the confidential character of Zygalski’s work and later speaking difficulties brought on by a stroke, Zygalski’s role in breaking the Enigma remained little known for decades, Zygalski’s nephew, Jeremy Russell, told Polish Radio’s IAR news agency.

Chichester Mayor Martyn Bell, who attended the unveiling ceremony, also expressed regret over not discovering Zygalski’s accomplishments earlier. “It’s sad in a way; Otherwise we might have gotten to know him and know more about him,” Bell said.

“But it was true of many people who worked undercover and in the secret world of World War II and the 1930s. Afterwards, they were kept under the radar,” he added.

The breakthrough of Zygalski, Rejewski and Różycki in cracking the Enigma code contributed to the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany.

(aba)

Source: IAR