Much of our countrymen have a problem discussing our past without emotion. Post-solidarity teams have besides divided our nation in history. alternatively of having a factual discussion about our history, we have a hysterical noise.
A temporary exhibition dedicated to Pomeranians incorporated into the Nazi army during planet War II was opened in the Town Hall of Gdańsk. On average, the title of the exhibition itself – “Our Boys” is besides happy. "Ours in Alien Uniforms", "In abroad Matter" or "Despite the will" would be much more accurate.
I didn't see the show myself, so I'm gonna hold off on categorical grades. I know 3 people who saw the show live. Fellas Jacek Marczyński (Warsaw), Bartek Doborzyński (Gdansk) and Jarosław Stenzel (Słupsk) who went to see her. But their feelings are very different. She's definitely the most strict justice of the col. I don't share my concerns, col. Jarosław Stanzel, that the exhibition will be utilized by global centres to attribute to Poles the "doings" of alleged crimes during planet War II. For this, they do not request any exhibition, for this only the submission of the ruling Poland is enough. The best example is the Silk case. However, I find it very useful to talk about the complicated destiny of Polish borderlanders. Far from being the only right attitude of patriotism to show heroism, much little a losing struggle. Avoiding vocation in the 3rd Reich, or areas attached to the 3rd Reich would be endangering your family. Poles serving in the 3rd Reich army as well as in the Army of the Union of russian Socialist Republics, for example, are a historical fact, and their resumes should be part of the complicated past of our nation.
A discussion or a noise?
The exhibition “Our Boys” has sparked a broad discussion among politicians and a more political part of society. Hysteria was mainly driven by Law and Justice (PiS) politicians. associate Casper Plażyński even demanded the closing of the exhibition. The exhibition was besides radically criticised by president Andrzej Duda ending his word of office. The exhibition was severely criticized by the erstwhile head of the MON Mariusz Błaszczak, president of Law and Justice Jarosław Kaczyński, Tobias Bocheński, Antoni Macierewicz, Przemysław Czarnek and Bogdan Rzoniec. Finally, she was criticized by the Deputy Prime Minister and the head of the MON Władysław Kosiniak Kamisz. They all accused the authors of the exhibitions of counterfeiting and relativizing the past of our nation. On the another hand, the subject was utilized by anti-Polish autonomousists who repeated like a mantra that Poles despise their countrymen who were forced to fight in abroad uniforms during the last war.
Few have taken the problem to bring the subject to the Poles. The Gdańsk Museum explained that the intent of the exhibition was not to glorify the Wehrmacht, but to present the destiny of people who were deprived of the option of choice and who were forced to Germanize and be incorporated into the German army. All you had to do was scope out to people like Dr. Eugeniusz Pryczkowski, who wrote “I was at an exhibition with the infantile title “Our Boys”. It utilized my books... They know what I've done in this field since they put my books on the shelf. They most likely besides know (I presume they read them) that I have quite a few material on the subject of forced enlisted German troops... No 1 went there voluntarily, as everyone in general says (even those who seem to argue). I describe in my books what precisely happened; how they were abused, how they were oppressed, how their parents were murdered and imprisoned, etc. No one's gonna know about this 1 in the window. But I read that they had, I quote “German colleagues”. That was not the case.”
I pulled old albums and pictures out of the drawer. any of them include men in German uniforms from the First and Second planet War. On many yellow documents, you can see a gap in the clutches of a swastika. These are pictures of my grandpa Oswald Czech, my uncles and their colleagues. They were all here and nobody thought they were German. I was born in Siemianowice Śląski to a household of Polish advanced Silesians. That's where my parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and great-grandparents are from both my father and my mother. My father's grandparents lived in Sadzawki and were neighbors of the Korfanty family. 2 great-grandfathers fought in the First War in Emperor Wilhelm II's army. After the end of the large war they went to fight for Poland in the advanced Silesian uprisings.
My grandpa in Wehrmacht
My grandpa Oswald Czech was incorporated into the Wehrmacht in 1940. Second Joseph Boruta He avoided this fate, as the Germans attacking the Michael Mines on September 1, 1939 severely injured him. I lived in the 1980s at 35 Michałkowice Street in a large household from the 1920s. There were practically no-one. Much of it was men at 60+. During the war 1939-1945, most of them were incorporated into the German armed forces. Among them were members of the TG Sokół, chapecic activists, soldiers of September 1939 and prisoners of Auschwitz. There was nothing different about it, just an average Silesian fate. As a child, I frequently heard conversations between old men and old men on the benches in front of the family: “They took this chop into the German army”, “the German uncle was without war”, “the adolphs segregated him on the front” or “they took him eastward, and the pain is the insurgent.” They talked about it simply drinking black coffee, feeding chickens and playing cards. However, this may shock people who are not acquainted with the past of outside Silesia or Pomerania. I thought that the subject had spread after the publication of many publications on the service of Poles in German armed forces headed by monumental work Prof. Ryszard Kaczmark "Poles in Wehrmacht". I think it's different.
The Poles in Wehrmacht were about 375 000, which accounted for about 2% of the full total of all soldiers of this formation. From Silesia itself, it was about 220,000 – 230 000 soldiers. It is worth noting that the volunteers were few, that is, little than 8%. They were the most common Germans. Among the Poles in German uniforms were Silesian insurgents, members of the Falcon, soldiers of September 1939, scouts, Sanacian activists, Corfanciors, nationalists, folk, socialists and communists. 40,000 of them were killed, frequently by their countrymen. Over 40,000 have been injured. present we do not realize who fought in German uniform during planet War II. The soldier of Wehrmacht was an outstanding Polish scientist and General Sylwester Kaliski, the best known Polish traveler Tony Halik, benevolent Archbishop Happy Stephen whether the state of Katowice from the granting of PZPR Stanisław Kiermaszek.
From Calves to Szewczyk
Incarnate in the Nazi army were many Polish athletes headed by footballers: Karol Clawek (representative of Poland 1927-1935),Theodor Evening (representative of Poland 1949–1953), Gerard Waterman (representative of Poland 1932–1939), Edmund Giemsa (representative of Poland 1933-1939), Karol Kossok (representative of Poland 1928-1932), Jerzy Krasówka (representative of Poland 1949-1953) or yet legend of the Chorzów Movement Gerard the carpenter (Polish typical 1947-1958). In the German army, between 1939 and 1945, MPs served on the Polish Parliament: Joseph Langosh (PRP), Hubert Okwieka (PRP), Albin Franciszek Siekierski (PRP), Jan Głązka (PRP), Siegfried Golas (ZSL) or operating in KPP before the war Peter Mazelon. In uniform with swastika the creator of Opolskie music festivals fought Charles Musil, the pillar of the Institute of Silesia Francis Hawranek, National organization Activist Jan Cieślak Whether an officer of Polish intelligence and a soldier of the National Army Roman Träger “As”.
I've been there and more tragic. Jura of the Grónie, meaning Władysław Niedoba passed the full Podkarpackie combat way of the 21st Mountain Infantry Division. He fights bravely with the Germans, but later he gets into russian captivity. He escapes it, comes home and is incorporated into the German army. author Adolf Fierla Before he joined the German army, he had previously been a prisoner of KL Dachau and KL Mauthausen-Gusen. National extremist Camp Actor (ONR) and prominent Polish author Wilhelm Szewczyk For his pacifist attitude and criticism of Nazism, he was arrested, expelled from the Wehrmacht branch, and 1942 imprisoned in a prison in Katowice. He argued that he could not service the 3rd Reich, in this case he wrote to the Gauleiterier himself of advanced Silesia state Fritz Bracht. For the remainder of his life, he didn't let himself a relationship. Tadeusz Radwan and Władysław Wójcik I want you to usage the Gestapo teeth. And yet a heroic character of the Polish Scouting Union activist in Germany Władysław Planetor, which was incorporated into the German army in July 1939. However, in April 1941, he and his maid of honor were arrested Jadwiga Kauchor. He then stayed in camps in KL Auschwitz-Birkenau, KL Mauthausen-Gusen, prison in Brzeg and Kłodzka Fortress, where he died in 1944.
Environment of Law and Justice (PiS) of Polish paper Clubs (KGP) and a group focused around the erstwhile leader of 1 of the branches of the Confederation of Independent Poland (KPN) Adam Straw led to a change in the name of the square in front of the railway station in Katowice with Wilhelm Szewczyk on Maria and Lech Kaczyński. Szewczyk gave Silesia his full life, Kaczynski had nothing to do with Silesia. At the time, an highly unfair argument was utilized that "this anti-semite served in the Nazi army". That's the kind of flyer they put on his grave. Can you be meaner? Lies about an outstanding author and activist for Polish Silesia were widely distributed. Among others, people who hung specified characters as the leader of Poznań June on banners were doing this Stanislaw Mateya, or co-founder of Free Trade Unions Roman Prince. However, they forgot that they were both incarnate in the Wehrmacht.
Most Polish of Silesian scientists, defender of advanced Silesia 95-year-old Prof. Franciszek Marek recalls the tragedy of advanced Silesian Poles on the example of their family. In a book published in 1989, “The advanced Silesian Tragedy” wrote: “In fresh wars, as many as 4 of my relatives died in German soldiers' uniforms: Father Francis' brother, died in France, uncle Joseph Bokisch He was killed in Dresden, his boy Jorgel, a student of theology, was shot over the Volga and his second cousin, Valenty Krahl of Kędzierzyn, had already died on the first day of the war under Rybnik. His mother, Aunt Sophia, did not believe that despite the known facts that he died from the Polish sphere, she was convinced that his superior, a German officer, shot him.” I called on prof. Francis Antoni Mark to guarantee that no 1 has doubts about the author's views and origin. due to the fact that the sentences of prof. Franciszek Antoni Mark will not be undermined by even the most fierce supporters of past according to “Gazeta Polska”. I've heard dozens as a kid and a young man. That is why I am so disgusted by the misunderstanding of the past of the border between their Members, activists and many voters.
I don't know if I'm more disgusted with their declarations or whether they're funny. Given the solidarity of politicians with Germany not as distant as planet War II, I think I find the hysterical attitude more amusing. I late read a book by German-born writer Jürgen Wahl “From Mazowieckie to Tusk. Solidarity of European Christian Democrats". The author is the erstwhile manager of the Karl Arnold Academy of Bosnia, which reveals how extensive, although discreet were the contacts of German chadeks with the alleged democratic opposition in the People's Poland and politicians in the 3rd Poland. For me, the most interesting information is about Jarosław Kaczyński and the Centre Agreement. Thanks to the publication, we know that Jarosław Kaczyński, together with 5 in-depth people, had talks with the German chade as early as 1990. He wrote: “He demanded aid in building the structures of his party. besides material, though this was forbidden. The organization received the name of the Centre Agreement (PC). I must say, the name itself appealed to me.” Then there is simply a very interesting description of the first gathering of the Kaczyński Formation, which was attended by, among others, the privatiser guru Janusz Lewandowski. From a Book Jürgen Wahl It appears that the first choice of the German right was the Kaczyński Formation, only later for various reasons were put on others. erstwhile again, we find evidence of common roots of the full COPIS, and not just national ones.
PiS politicians frequently shout “Tusk is Germany”. I don't like it. Donald Tusk and his political community. I believe that they are equally, and possibly even more harmful to Poland as the PiS. But erstwhile again, utilizing a bullshit argument about the Wehrmacht grandpa is immoral, stupid, and perverting our story. The grandpa of the current Prime Minister Józef Tusk was a Pole. After the war broke out on September 1, 1939, he was arrested by the Gestapo. Then sent to forced labor, he stayed in the camp in Nowy Port, was imprisoned in the German concentration camp KL Stutthof and Neuengamme. At the end of the war in 1944, he was called to the Wehrmacht. However, he returned from the front like many others already as a soldier of the Polish Armed Forces in the West. That was nothing peculiar either.
Let's look at statistics.
89,600 Poles deserted from the German army. Thanks to desertion, she was taken into Allied captivity and was subsequently incorporated into the Polish Armed Forces in the West. This is about 24% of the full sum of Poles incorporated into the Wehrmacht. It is worth knowing that about 3000 passed to the Polish Army (commonly called LWP). Additionally, the Pomeranian defectors and conscripts who withdrew from their service in the Wehrmacht provided many partisan troops of the Home Army (AK) and the Secret Military Organization "Pomeranian Grif" in the Tucholski Borach. A crucial proportion of the incarnate were killed or injured, so she could not go to the anti-hitler site. My grandpa was badly hurt. His views, as well as the views known to me personally in the past Wehrmacht soldiers were heavy critical of Germany. After 1945, Oswald's grandpa was a associate of the Polish Western Union (PZZ) and the Hutniks' Professional Union in Poland. In People's Poland no 1 caused him problems due to the fact that he was incorporated into the German army. After the war in 1949 he received a Polish military book with a description of the service in the German army.
There is besides a request to clarify the substance of the alleged folkslist, Deutsche Volksliste (DVL). due to the fact that this argument of the PiS-ers is besides frequently used. All people surviving in advanced Silesia were obliged to complete national questionnaires in 1942. German commissions analyzed entries on the list, among another things, by questioning children in what language they talk at home. Getting 3 DVL categories was a protection against prison or concentration camp for advanced Silesians. Category 3, i.e. eingedeutschte (Polish: niem) are autochtonics, considered partially Polishized by the Germans (Górnoślązacy, Kaszubi, Mazurzy). Over 70% of the inhabitants of the Katowice territory were qualified for this group. The Silesians received the 3DLL category in large numbers. This is 1 of the fewer examples of the Endek blood economy. For humanitarian reasons, and the threat of the lives of the population in Silesia in the event of refusal to enter the Polish Government in exile in London on the Volkslist supported the position of those who decided to submit 3DLL applications. General Władysław Sikorski it has even announced a peculiar directive on this subject announced by radio. This position was shared by Polish national, independence, Chadetic, folk and Roman Catholic organizations in Silesia.
After the war, the bishop of Katowice Stanisław Adamski On 22 November 1945, he submitted a peculiar 28-page explanation on this issue to the Grodzkie Sady in Biała Krakowska (later Bielsko-Biała) under the title “A view of the improvement of the national case in the Silesian Voivodeship during the German occupation.” Bishop Adamski writes: “The command of masking was issued to all Poles who could and wanted to usage it... Thus, most Poles in Silesia, registering on the German national list, did so in the belief that they were in accordance with the orders of the Polish Government." I don't know why this crucial paper is so small known. A National organization activist erstwhile wrote about his importance in “Home” Tadeusz Kacuga, and in “The stone in the Country” Prof. Maciej Gierty. A different position from the Polish Government in London and political organizations (endeks to socialists) was adopted by erstwhile members of the Communist organization of Poland (KPP) who were primarily members of the Polish Workers' organization (PPR), who recognized the acceptance of the volkslist as a clear act of national betrayal. It may have been the national lineup of this group.
Returning to the Wehrmacht, included in the III DVL group, they were subject to a number of restrictions resulting from the mistrust of the authorities as to their loyalty to the 3rd Reich. From the incarnate to the Wehrmacht, it was not possible to make separate subdivisions, separating them, if possible, individually or after respective in the platoon (2–3 people). Indigenous Germans treated Silesians or Kashubians in a way akin to the Gypsies. The gypsies were besides incorporated into the German army at least until early 1942. The fact cited by the American military historian should definitely be a strong patriot of a warm heart Professor Bryan Mark Rigg In his book Hitler's judaic Soldiers, he writes about at least 150,000 Jews serving in Adolf Hitler's army. Does anyone reproach the Alsatians, the Lorrainens, or the Luxemburgers for being incarnate in a abroad German army?
Why do we always anticipate superhuman sacrifices and vain blood donations in our nation? People wanted a average life. The 1943 Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers SS Kattowitz (Katowice) study states: “The fact that fresh vocations can frequently be carried out with clear aversion [recalled], and frequently through coercion is simply a common phenomenon. Above all, this should be attributed to the fact that, among the local population, the readiness to sacrifice and fight is not frequently met (...) this can be inferred especially from the opinion of young children 6-8 years of age from all classes. The appointment [according to these opinions] is treated as a large misfortune that has affected the family, for this reason 1 must cry. Joy to become a soldier, as it is common in the Old Reich, does not meet here until now.”
Łukasz Jastrzębski
Photo: Gdańsk Museum
Think Poland, No. 31-32 (3-10.08.201025)
