Tadeusz Leon Józef Zawadzki (; January 24, 1921 – August 20, 1943) was a Polish scout instructor, scoutmaster, Home Army second lieutenant, commander of assault groups in Warsaw, one of the protagonists of Aleksander Kamiński's book Kamienie na szaniec. Because of his beautiful, girlish appearance, he was given the nickname "Zośka", meaning "Sophia".
Biography
Zawadzki was born on January 24, 1921, in Warsaw as a son of Józef Zawadzki, a chemist engineer, professor, dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and rector of the Warsaw University of Technology, and later vice-rector of the secret Warsaw University of Technology, who was active in the Union of Retaliation under the alias "Juliusz", and Leona (), a teacher and educational activist. Zawadzki was born in a tenement house at 58 Piękna Street. In the mid-1930s, the family moved to a flat on the ground floor of the so-called Professors' House at 75 Koszykowa Street, which was a part of the Polytechnic's buildings complex.
Tadeusz Zawadzki began his studies at the Private School of the Society of the Mazovian School at Klonowa Street 16. In September 1933, he began his education at Stefan Batory State Gymnasium in Warsaw. In "Batory", Zawadzki continued his education in high school, in a class with mathematical and physical profile. Later soldiers of Warsaw Assault Groups: Jan Bytnar, Aleksy Dawidowski and Jan Wuttke studied in the same class.
From the Autumn of 1933, Zawadzki was a member of the 23rd Warsaw Scouting Team "Bolesław Chrobry", called the "Orangery". He passed his Matura exam at the end of May 1939.
- thumb|A memorial plaque in the Main Hall in the Main Building of the Warsaw University of TechnologyOn May 6, 1943, he participated (as an observer) in an attempt to kidnap SS-Oberscharführer Herbert Schultz (the Gestapo investigator of assault groups), which ended with Schultz's death,
- At the same time, he was also involved in preparations to free Florian Marciniak, Head of the "Grey Ranks" (unsuccessful actions: "Mexico IV", "Chicago" and "The White Rose"), from the hands of the Germans.
Commander
- The liberation of prisoners in Celestynów during the night of May 19–20, 1943 (in the presence of Captain "Mietek" – Mieczysław Kurkowski, the direct supervisor of the Special Unit "Jerzy" in Kedyw KG AK, who supervised the action, which was an officer's exam for "Zośka"),
- Blowing up a railway bridge near Czarnocin over Wolbórka river on the night of June 5/6, 1943.
Decorations
thumb|A memorial plaque at the House of Professors of the Warsaw University of Technology at Koszykowa Street 75, where Tadeusz Zawadzki lived together with his parents and sister.
- 60px Silver Cross of Order of Virtuti Militari
- 60px Commander's Cross with Star of Order of Polonia Restituta (posthumously in 2009).
- 60px Cross of Valour (twice in 1943).
- thumb|Cross on Tadeusz Zawadzki's grave in the Zośka Battalion quarters at the Powązki Warsaw Military Cemetery.A free-standing plaque in the village of Sieczychy, where Zośka died on August 20, 1943
- In 2017, the local authorities of Piaseczno and the ZHP Warsaw Banner decided to purchase a wooden house in Zalesie Dolne, which from 1929 belonged to the Zawadzki's family, and where meetings and training sessions of the Grey Ranks were held during the occupation. An education centre is to be established in the building