A page from the Wisła calendar: Henryk Reyman's birthday

He lived for the glory of Polish sport. He is a role model for younger generations. Today marks the 127th anniversary of Henryk Reyman's birth.

Henryk Reyman is a true legend for Wisła – a figure who truly defines the club's identity. Reyman was born on July 28, 1897, in Kraków, in his family's tenement house on Jabłonowskich Street. He joined Wisła in the spring of 1910, encouraged by his older cousins, the Rutkowski brothers, who were then leading figures in the Sports Society. Reyman apprenticed with Wisła's junior teams, making his debut for the first team in 1914.

Wisła suspended operations during World War I, and Henryk Reyman is one of the people to whom we owe the club's revival. It was he, along with several older players, who decided to revive Wisła in the summer of 1918. Wounds sustained in combat on the Italian front didn't prevent him from doing so, nor did financial difficulties, as the club lacked its own pitch, equipment, or financial resources. Thanks to figures as dedicated as Reyman, Wisła, against all odds, began to climb to the top of Polish football.

Henryk Reyman was elected captain of Wisła in 1923. That same year, the team won the Kraków district championship for the first time and finished second in the Polish Championship. In 1926, Reyman led the White Star to victory in the Polish Cup, and the following year to the Polish championship title, won in the first edition of the national league competition. In 1928, Wisła defended this title, with Reyman finishing top scorer in both seasons. Reyman was also a leading figure in the Kraków and Polish national teams, captaining the national team at the 1924 Olympics.

Henryk Reyman was elected captain of Wisła in 1923. That same year, the team won the Kraków district championship for the first time and finished second in the Polish Championship. In 1926, Reyman led the White Star to victory in the Polish Cup, and the following year to the Polish championship title, won in the first edition of the national league competition. In 1928, Wisła defended this title, with Reyman finishing top scorer in both seasons. Reyman was also a leading figure in the Kraków and Polish national teams, captaining the national team at the 1924 Olympics.

The Wisła captain ended his sporting career in 1933 and devoted himself to the military. Even earlier, thanks to his great determination, he had been able to combine professional service in the Polish Army with sport. Reyman, stationed in Vilnius, commuted to his beloved club's matches by night train. This loyalty to Wisła earned him enduring respect.

Reyman was a heroic soldier, wounded many times in battles for his homeland. He fought in the Polish-Ukrainian War, the Polish-Bolshevik War, the battles against Czechoslovakia for Cieszyn Silesia, and the Silesian Uprisings. In September 1939, he commanded the 1st Battalion of the 37th Infantry Regiment. Wounded in the Battle of Bzura, he was taken prisoner by the Germans, from which he managed to escape. Wanted by the Gestapo and sentenced to death in absentia by the occupiers, he hid under a false identity until the end of the war, while also participating in the resistance movement (including organizing weapons transfers to Warsaw).

After 1945, in the new political realities, Reyman saw no possibility of continuing his military service. As it soon turned out, he was also a suspect figure in the sporting arena for the new authorities. A prominent football authority, Reyman served as captain of the Polish Football Association (Polish Football Association) (national team manager) and worked to rebuild Polish football from the ruins of war. Harassed by the authorities (he was denied a passport for his team's international matches and convicted in a trumped-up trial for "abuse of power"), he withdrew from public life. He returned to sports after the political thaw of 1956. He once again became the Polish national team manager (he led the Poles to a legendary 2-1 victory over the USSR in 1957), managed the Kraków national team, and was an activist for TS Wisła.

Reyman died in April 1963 after a short but serious bout with cancer. He was buried in the family grave at Rakowicki Cemetery. He remains an undisputed White Star legend, and his words, "Don't let people deem you unworthy of a handshake," constitute the Wisła credo.