Heweliusz ending explained: Binter's fate, Witek's final choice and mystery of the Kempen ship

Netflix's latest Polish historical drama miniseries, Heweliusz, delves into the 1993 tragic sinking of the Polish Ocean Line's MS Jan Heweliusz in the Baltic Sea. Created by Kasper Bajon, this series not only delves into the sinking of the ship or the rescue but also the investigation that followed. One question lingers throughout the series: Who is the culprit behind the incident? Is it Captain Andrzej Ulasiewicz and crew? Is it the Polish army or is it Navica Ferries, the company behind the vessel?

The drama concludes with a chilling truth: that justice is often twisted and corrupted. Here's what happened.

Heweliusz ending explained: A conspiracy concealed beneath the sea

In the final episode, we saw how the Maritime Chamber conveniently puts the blame on Captain Andrzej Ulasiewicz for the disaster. Meanwhile, genuine reasons such as structural flaws and adverse weather conditions are often overlooked. Captain Piotr Binter sees through the conspiracy and refuses to accept the conclusion. His personal investigation leads him to the shadows, a cruel cover-up that goes beyond the ferry's deck.

Through secret German radio transmissions, Binter discovers something shocking: a second ship, the Kempen, was too close to Heweliusz during the storm. That reality was scrubbed from all official reports. Here's what truly happened on that unfateful night

While Captain Ulasiewicz slept, Witek Skirmuntt, a junior officer, briefly took control. Seeing the Kempen appear on the radar, he ordered the ferry to halt, a fatal misjudgement that robbed the ship of momentum amid the storm. By the time Ulasiewicz took control, the damage was done. Heweliusz had begun to tilt.

The Kempen, positioned awkwardly nearby, worsened the chaos. Whether it was a coincidence or a deliberate move remains a mystery. What's clear is that if the Heweliusz had not overloaded, it could have been saved.

The official cover-up and Binter's mysterious death

The Heweliusz hearings, which seemed to bring justice for the victims, quickly turned into a bureaucratic charade. Every discovery made by Binter and lawyer Igancy Budzisz is twisted. The committee insists on pushing one narrative that the crew was drunk and careless, giving the company a clean chit. In the end, the panel of the Maritime Chamber says,

"The tragically deceased Captain of Jan Heweliusz, Andrej Ulasiewicz, has been found to have sole responsibility for the catastrophe. The Captain neglected his duties. He had demonstrated a lack of responsibility through various risky decisions during a storm. His crew also failed to observe standard occupational health and safety protocols. Jan Heweliusz was not without its defects for which the shipowner was also responsible."

But the evidence tells another story. The ferry's defective construction, unrepaired aft door, and excess concrete deck made it a ticking time bomb. There's also a darker possibility that the ship was carrying undecalred military cargo, nearly 30 tons of extra weight.

Navica Ferries, the company behind the vessel, has too much at stake if the truth is out. Before Binter can testify, he dies in a mysterious car crash. Officially, it is labelled as an accident, but with all the odds against him, it could be a premeditated murder. A truck hit his car, and it burst into flames. The drive vanishes without helping him. Quite a suspicious event. With Binter's death, the truth sinks once again.

Witek's final choice

Witek, even though he survives the sinking, he's constantly haunted by his guilt, trauma, and mistaken identity. By the finale, his fragile recovery collapses. When he comes to know that his decision to halt the ferry contributed to its capsizing, he breaks. In a haunting final scene, he jumps from a ship, disappearing into the sea. Whether he survives the jump or not remains a mystery. But one thing remains clear: sometimes the survivor's guilt becomes unbearable.

Binter's legacy and the lost tapes

The truth dies twice, once with the victims and again with Binter's tape. The car fire supposedly destroyed the recordings that proved Kempen's presence. Yet the show leaves one thread deliberately frayed. The lawyer, Budzisz, recalls Binter's last call and tries to convey Binter's findings. Without hard evidence, his testimony carries no legal weight, but sparks a quiet hope that the truth might resurface one day.

Heweliusz isn't about who's guilty; it's about how the truth can often be manipulated with power.