Łukasz Revers: Communist Crimes and Postwar evidence of religion of the People of the Powiat Konyński
With the Red Army entering Poland, many of our countrymen found that the “freedom” which the Russians were to bring us was actually another communist slavery.
Start
Already in the first days after the business of the powiat Konyński by the Red Army, there was a crime on the Polish population at the hands of Soviets. The tomb of the legionary and veteran of the First planet War – Józef Ślugaj, was shot at in Kazimierz Biskup (to this day, it carries traces of fire).
The Manikovsky household palace in Kazimierz, the Court of the Kwilecki Counties in Maliniec and another historical buildings in the vicinity The Russians almost completely plundered and devastated (those that survived, in later years, frequently fell into ruin – sometimes intentionally induced by fresh authorities). In addition, the erstwhile noble estates, in accordance with the 1944 PKWN decree, were nationalized. Their rightful owners frequently could not live in their hometowns, from which they were simply thrown out by the "people" authority.
They even received a restraining order against their ancestral properties. In addition, as in the case of the last owner of the property Kazimierz Biskupi – Antoni Mańkowski or the daughter who deserved east Wielkopolska, Dr Jan Nepomuk Godlewski of Cząstkow – Aleksandra Godlewski, was bullied, persecuted and released from work.
It should be remembered that Poles, and above all landowners and intelligence, were systematically murdered by the Russians as early as 17 September 1939 (for example, in 1940 the NKVD murdered Mieczysław Kwilecki from Maliniec).
To this day, reports of rapes against Poles to which the Soviets have committed themselves have been preserved. According to Boy Scout and SKR worker in Kazimierz Biskupim – Jarosław Bedkowski, Konin Street 3 The Red Army was expected to rape a woman. Interestingly, erstwhile their commander learned what they had done – he shot them (it was one
from a fewer exceptions to "measurement" of justice).
Returning from forced labour from Germany, Poles besides mentioned rapes against women. My great-grandfather's sister, Jadwig Chojnack of Anielev, told me how she was almost raped by a Red Armyman, in addition to threatening her with a gun. Fortunately, Jadwiga's father alerted the commander in time, who frightened off an abusive soldier.
In addition to the wave of rape, along with the successive Red Army troops, another wave passed through our lands – a wave of looting. The victims of theft and devastation were not only the landowners, but besides mediocre peasants who were frequently taken away, for example, by the last livestock. The case of Franciszek Szymanski from Podlasie (Helens II close Lichen) is known, where a drunk soldat (in the area of the village of Kępa) wanted to take his bike away, he shot him hard in the head.
" Fortunately" the bullet from the weapon destroyed only the interior ear and pulled a part of skull. He survived, but became disabled for life. Until the 1970s, it was not even possible to admit the grounds for his disability – a shot in unacceptable circumstances. He was later supervised by a UB officer who lived in a neighboring town and lived to live in a happy old age.
After the Soviets conquered Poland, the apparatus of communist panic full developed in our country. The “people” power, not only that it falsified the 1946 and 1947 elections, was chosen by Polish patriots and organizations not compatible with Stalinist ideology, promoting democracy, religion, etc.
The “Cursed” and persecuted by communism was, among others, the Catholic Church, the Union of Polish Scouting, opposition to the communists of the time, the Polish People's Party, the akovists, the Soldiers of the Curse, the Grounders, intelligence, Jehovah's witnesses, any peasants, owners of private establishments, and even God himself (I will return to the subject of spiritual persecution later in the article).
From Siberia, our countrymen arrived in Wielkopolska, who managed to last the years spent in russian camps. Their stories, among others, about the cathartic work in a strong cold, the production of “coffee” from a part of bread crust or the eating of rats, in political conditions at the time, could not gain publicity in Poland...
The actual embodiment of leftist panic of ideology was the communist cateries, which in Konin alone were three: the erstwhile German prison on 7th and 7th Street, the arrest of the safety Office on 1st and the seat of the Civic Militia on Żwirki and Wigura 7th Street. The alleged “enemies of the people” who were held there, tortured or even murdered were sent to the execution room.
These local martyrdom sites include the erstwhile Tsar's shooting range, located in the forest just on Ametystowa Street and Amber Route, where executions on the Cursed Soldiers took place from 1945 to 1952. It is the only place, among those 4 mentioned, commemorated by a cross and a plaque. The another catechists and their victims, after more than 30 years since 1989, are inactive forgotten!
Gabriel Fejcho ps was about to die in Konin. Fire – 1 of the most crucial and most well-deserved commanders of anti-communist conspiracy in east Wielkopolska and Kujawy. It was him, along with another hero Soldier of the Cursed – Lieutenant Antoni Fryszkowski ps. Fig, and a group of patriots whose large part came from Sompolna.
He broke up MO stations, occupied municipal offices, executed on safety officers, whistleblowers, and communist activists, participated in armed clashes with MO and UB troops, freed guerrillas from detentions, destroyed tips, and requisitioned, for further combat, weapons, food and money. Unfortunately, both Fire, FigAnd thousands of another Cursed Soldiers were murdered.
Those who survived, specified as Józef Kubacki ps. WindDespite their amnesty, they were inactive repeatedly bullied and persecuted. As far as Kubacki is concerned, it is worth mentioning that the effects of his activity in the anti-communist organization besides affected his children, Gabriel and Witold. His eldest boy – Gabriel, for example, could not get a place in the boarding home in Konin, a school scholarship or a grant for trips.
The grove property of Kwilecki – Wacław Pluskot, whose local poachers and thieves denounced German gendarmerie during the war, did not escape its fate. Having survived happily in hiding the German business period, he was again deposed – this time on UB. The safety comrades proved to be more effective than the Germans. However, having insufficient evidence of his “criminal crime”, they disembarked him all the way to Warpna behind Szczecin, where they besides did not leave him alone. There he couldn't withstand systematic harassment...
Returning to the subject related to the anti-communist underground, we should mention the interesting situation that took place in Dobrosołów (the municipality of Kazimierz Biskupi) soon
after planet War II. In 1946, on the premises of 1 of the farms, there was a shooting between the Cursed Soldier (unfortunately his data is unknown to this day), and the captain of the interior safety Corps – Boris Lisowski.
Both gentlemen shot each another dead. The death of the second in the eyes of any appeared to be a truly "heroic" act worthy of commemoration. And strangely – so it happened. A boulder dedicated to Lisowski was erected in the village and his patronage was imposed on the local school (fortunately, both the school and the boulder have long been decommunised).
Not only guerrillas, but besides peasants, who owned between a twelve and a fewer twelve hectares of land, landed in the horse court and in the prison on Water Street. Communist propaganda, due to their “little thing”, saw in them the enemies of the people and described them as “cuckles.” 1 of the persecuted “cuckoos” was my great-grandfather – Władysław Revers of Bochlev and repeatedly tried and closed by the Konin court – Franciszek Balcerzak of Moczadło.
Interestingly, the local press tried to ridicule Balcerzak caricaturely portraying him as a inexpensive farmer sitting on grain sacks, to which a starving cityman looks.
The peasants were subject to massive agricultural contributions. Those who could not fulfil them were imprisoned not only in Konin, but besides in municipal detentions of MO, for example in Kazimierz Biskup. Interestingly, there was a situation in Kazimierz erstwhile the wives of the arrested replaced their husbands in serving their sentences. The arresters were able to work during the day in the field, and after work they returned to prison again.
Young people from the Polish Youth Union from Poznań helped in the search for illegal grain, who came to Kazimierz Bishop in railway uniforms. These were so-called. The Youth Three, among them, 1 of the most active was the “Tryka” from Gosławic.
One day on the farm, located erstwhile at the roadside figure of Jesus Christ on the dug, later through the mine of the northern part of Casimir Bishop, members of the ZMP, after receiving a tip, searched the home to find hidden grain bags. They couldn't find anything. By the time they finished their mission, they noticed that there was a jack for a horse next to the incisor.
They refused to come back empty - handed and decided to take distant what was meant for the animal. utilizing the wine cellars they separated the grain from the chaff and then took the last 50 kg of horse food.
The end of the Polish Stalinism era was profoundly felt by the captain of the Polish Army – Tadeusz Grzegorczyk of Konin, sentenced to death for his heroic attitude. What did he do? During the Poznań June 1956, he was ordered to open fire on protesters of the countrymen. Grzegorczyk did not follow that command. He conducted the company a defilade step alongside the protestor's crowd and then returned to the barracks.
For this act he could only receive 1 sentence—the death penalty. Fortunately, it was never executed due to the fact that the court had replaced it for military degradation and for a wolf ticket, for which it was only in the 1970s that he could take up work.
Later years
In addition to the guerrilla struggle, Poles fought against communism, defending historical truth, e.g. Katyn, singing "forbiddened songs", damaging Marxist monuments (e.g. in Kazimierz Biskup from the monument on the market, the red star was torn off), celebrating independency Day or May 3, and organizing peaceful manifestations and strikes. Already in 1980, a fewer months before the Solidarity uprising, SKR workers in Kazimierz Biskupi, faced with a nationwide economical crisis, took a strike.
He was most likely the only 1 in Poland at the time. Unfortunately, it was rapidly completed by the active activities of the Civic Militia, the safety Service, its secret collaborators and confiscators. any SKR employees, due to fear of SB officers, hid themselves even in combine tanks on the premises. The strikers, as with many another PRL protests, suffered various repressions (such as intimidation or death threats).
On the news of the introduction of martial law, the workers of Huta Aluminium Konin, at about 5:30 p.m. took a strike action. A fewer hours earlier, about 0:32, MO officers broke into the building of the Provincial infirmary who had detained protesters from the horse hospital. any of the participants of the strike, along with others detained, were transported to internment centres in Mielec and Bydgoszcz. A full of respective twelve people were interned in the Konin Voivodeship, sentenced later for years in prison.
After 13 December 1981, many workplaces and temples of St. Maximilian Kolbe in Konin organized charity aid directed for the oppressed and their families. The same church besides celebrated Masses for the Homeland, interned and arrested, and close parish buildings held meetings of members of the “Solidarity” from the Konin plant. On the first day of the martial law, Fr Antoni Łassa, the parish priest of that parish devoted the banner of the NSZZ “Solidarity” of Huta Aluminium.
Poles, despite severe repression, did not give up. By the end of the 1980s, underground flyers, inscriptions on the walls, flags of "Solidarity" were displayed, e.g. on high-voltage poles, secret organizations were created, and local radio "Solidarity" was attempted.
After 1989, any Poles could breathe relief, but to this day many communist criminals have inactive not been tried, any of whom are inactive alive. IPN investigators sometimes find further graves with victims testifying to crimes of totalitarian leftist system. Let us remember that these earth-covered bodies, bound, broken, with nails pierced bones, with broken teeth, stripped of clothing and another objects call to us not for vengeance, but for memory...
Opium for the People
From now on, it is not known that Communism has chosen to fight religion and, in particular, to destruct Christianity. After all, Karl Marx himself, 1 of the first theorists of this leftist ideology, said: Religion is opium for the people. Nothing unusual about that: the Christian image of a man who loved peace, God and all neighbor, even enemies, argued with the thought of fighting classes.
In all Communist countries, believers, as in the days of the first apostles, the French Revolution or Mexico in the 1920s, were and are inactive persecuted. In Russia, Stalin ordered, on a massive scale, to close the temples, rework them, for example, on the storeroom, or simply destruct them, as did the large council of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Orthodox schools and another church estates were taken over.
They were ridiculed in the press and on propaganda posters by faith. Sacred art was destroyed. They were expelled from work or prevented from further education to believers. Tens of thousands of clergymen were shot or taken to the camps.
Even in 1923, in a show trial, God was sentenced to “death” for crimes against the human race. The firing squad symbolically executed this conviction by firing shots into the sky...
In Albania, over the years Envera Hoja, 1 step further, to which Stalin himself never decided: On November 22, 1967, the Albanian government completely banned spiritual practices. This decree was in force for more than 20 years, and for breaking it, for example, after evangelization, catching it in prayer, having a Bible, or baptizing a child, threatened a dense prison, labour camp or martyrdom...
Similarly, the Khmer Reds of Cambodia, who, for spiritual practices, wearing glasses, cognition of abroad languages, and having unbreakable hands, frequently issued 1 sentence—the death penalty, frequently executed with a plastic bag utilized to strangle victims. In modern times, a akin policy toward religion is conducted by North Korea, holding an unknown number of Christians in concentration camps.
The Polish People's Republic had a milder attitude to religion than in the USSR or Albania, but nevertheless the Catholic Church was persecuted. Interestingly, during the full period of the Polish People's Republic, the Church was de facto the only "legal" and continuously functioning institution of opposition to the "people's" government. For the communists knew well that banning religion in specified a spiritual country as Poland, for which the Church was a stone for the Polish Nation for centuries, would only consequence in a bloody civilian war.
The examples of the USSR, Albania, and Cambodia were besides learned, where, despite more severe persecution, any of the inhabitants continued to keep their faith, indicating the ineffectiveness of anti-religious campaigns there. Nevertheless, they tried to block the construction or renovation of temples, the setting up of fresh chapels and crosses, the removal of crosses from schools, the surveillance and even the imprisonment of clergy (such as the primate Stefan Wyszyński).
Further education or work was prevented for those who did not want to advance their religion in public and priests were murdered, specified as Roman Kotlarz, Jerzy Popieluszko, Stefan Niedziela, Stanislaw Sucholowiec, Sylwester Zycha or the powiat poliecki Zdzisław Różański, about which I wrote the article: https://www.magnapolonia.org/lukasz-revers-mystery-death-ks-zdzislaw-rozanski/ .
Różański Society has not remained passive against these anti-theistic repressions. Poles have demonstrated their commitment to religion many times, e.g. building, in social activity, churches
and chapels, defending, against the removal, the cross in Nowa Huta in 1960, organizing school strikes in Miętne and Włoszczów in 1984, and participating in Masses and pilgrimages of as many as hundreds of thousands of people.
On the land of Koninska there were besides courageous witnesses of religion who opposed the ruling strategy by their actions.
Starting with the truly martyred death of Stanisław Pilski of Tokarek in the municipality of Kazimierz Biskupi (who was accused by the protection of the cross in Tokarki, and shortly later found dead in the marshes in Bieniszewski Forest in 1960), by Masses for Homeland in the church of St Maximilian Kolbe in Konin, after the fresh cross was placed on the horse membranes on the 119th anniversary of the failure of the Capuchin monk and patriot Maximilian Tariwa, who was shortly removed by “unknown perpetrators”...
In 1966, a small known manifesto of Catholic religion took place in Grzemlin close Lichenia. In the village on the Konin – Lichen road, and in the fork of the road to Anielewa, there was an old wooden cross. any of the inhabitants, afraid about his condition, and the fact that he could fall on children going down that road to the close school in Angelev, decided to place a fresh cross in his place.
Of course, only trusted people were active in this work, due to the fact that in these times, repression by the regulation of power was threatened for akin acts. Work on the fresh symbol was undertaken in almost conspiracy conditions: at night in the barn with Stanisław Szyszyński local hosts created a fresh cross. After the task was done, besides after dark, it was placed in the light of a lamp from a mosquito.
Cross in KoninUnfortunately, 1 of Grzemlin's residents reported the act on the militia. On April 5, 1966, the officers made a local vision, during which they stated, of course, according to their opinion, a "harmful" self-will. A local social activist and the wife of a erstwhile pre-war MP to the parliament, Zofia Kacprzak and the mentioned Szyszyński host, were found guilty of this act.
They were called upon to police to Konin, informing them that this case was not considered to be of greater importance, but that due to the continuous investigation of the informer, officers had to intervene. On Zofia Kacprzak, as well as on Stanisław Szyszyński, in addition to the order to dismantle the cross, a punishment of PLN 500 was imposed and criminal proceedings were threatened with a punishment of imprisonment of up to 1 year, fines of up to PLN 50,000 or both.
Mrs Kacprzak, however, did not agree to strip the cross, nor to pay the said amount, and she was called upon respective times for questioning. However, she could appeal to the Faculty of Construction, Urban Studies and Architecture of the WRN Bureau in Poznań, which she benefited from on 20 April of the same year. A week later, a decision was made to authorize the housing of a spiritual object and to cancel the earlier fine.
Gręblin CrossThe fresh Grąblin cross, despite the threat of demolition, remained in its place. He stood there until 2005, when, with the road's reconstruction, he was transferred to Priest Ostrow in the municipality of Kramsk, where he replaced another falling cross. The barrier around him was moved to a close forest, where 1 of the chapels was fenced. The chapel was handed over to Wanda Wieczorek's cousin – Zofia Kacprzak's granddaughter.
There are many more akin stories from Poland and the full world. It is sad, however, that the current power does not see the large same - sacrifice that the earlier generations have brought
to defend your faith. all now and then, there are demands for the removal of spiritual symbolism from public places or even public attacks on spiritual freedom.
It should be remembered that according to our past and tradition the cross was almost everywhere present, reminding the Polish people of the Christian faith. For us present – after years of spiritual persecution at the hands of Germans and communists, the cross is besides a sign of opposition and bloodshed of those for whom Faith, Hope and Love and God, Honor and Homeland meant more than having...
Luke the Reverse
Source:
– Jerzy Jaworski, Scars, Issue 1, Marks, was edited by the author, 2018, pp. 109-226, ISBN 978-83-934718-8-1;
– Antoni Mańkowski, Memoirs of My Life, Wyd 1, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo ODEON, 1997, pp. 121-172, ISBN 83-900028-8-4;
– household Archives of Prof. Dr. Zygmunt Vetulani;
– Gabriel Kubacki's household Archives;
– Waldemar Handke, "Probing to establish a ‘Solidarity’ radio in Konin" [online] – http://www.polska1918-89.pl/pdf/proba-slow-radia–solidarity-in-conin,1998.pdf [accessed at 01:34, 30.04.201023];
– Wielkopolska Heart of Poland, Koniński March of the Memory of the Cursed Soldiers passed through the streets of Old Town in Konin. The National Movement of Konin celebrated the Heroes [online] – https://wielkopolskasercempolski.pl/koninski-marsz-pamici-zolnierzy-pamici-pamici-pamici-pamici-pamici-strakki-w-konin-national-konin-stuncil-herater/ [accessed: 02:18, 14.03.2023];
– The oral account of Zbigniew Pęcz, collected by Łukasz Revers in August 2020;
– An oral account of Chojnacka Jadwiga from the home of Yours, collected by Luke Revers in January 2021;
– The oral account of Józef Malinowski, collected by Łukasz Revers in October 2020;
– An oral account of John Krzysztof Tomczak, collected by Luke Revers in March 2021;
– The oral account of Gustav Revers, collected by Luke Revers in May 2021;
– Oral account of Andrzej Balcerzak, collected by Łukasz Revers in August 2021;
– The oral account of prof. Janusz Górniak, collected by Łukasz Revers in October 2022;
– The oral account of Tomasz Jankowski, collected by Łukasz Revers in July 2023.
