The Sejm adopted a resolution condemning the Red Army for looting and crimes committed in advanced Silesia. specified setting of the case and juggler the word "upper Silesian tragedy" is in any deficiency of discretion, and in others a deliberate action to revise history. The resolution itself is outrageous due to the fact that it ignores the reasons for these events.
On 9 January, Members of the Polish Parliament adopted a resolution to commemorate the victims of the advanced Silesian Tragedy. 406 Members voted in favour, 2 against (Agnieszka Górska and Dariusz Matecki from PiS22 abstentions (Confederation). In the second case, I am very amazed due to the fact that Mr Matecki is highly restrained in a fair assessment of history. In 2015, a akin resolution was voted, then 2 MPs besides opposed, then with the SLD. Close to Grzegorz Braun associate Roman Fritz He requested to be included in the resolution of the period 1939-1946, which would, of course, besides be incorrect and falsifying history, although in a smaller dimension. And that goes on.
Halina Poverty, Citizen Coalition Senator said: “If the most crucial people in the country participate in the celebrations, I think it is simply a supra-regional event. Should this be state celebrations? I think we should talk about it and we should prosecute it.” specified communicative is not compatible with our national or state interests. It begins with marches with flags with the inscription “Oberschlesien” and banners at sports events “Today Kosovo, next day Silesia”. A unusual coalition of leftist and advanced Silesian nationalists is behind these environments. We find people connected with the b. organization on the 1 hand Janusz Palikot, Spring Roberta Biedronia, The fresh Left Vladimir Czarzastegabout whether today's Civic Platform. The faces of autonomy are – Monika Rosa, Marek Mound, Luke Kohut or author Stephen Hardoch. Constantly promoted in TVN as a spokeswoman of Silesianness is Monika Rosa. It is worth recalling that it co-written the letter “Liberté! Free vote, freedom insurrection” (which was financed by the Leviathan Confederation grants, the Friedrich Naumanna Foundation and the Stefan Bator Foundation of Soros). And from the second Silesian Conservatives and supporters of archaic Silesian nationalism led by Jerzy Gorzelik or Andrzej Rocznook. The Institute of National Memory (IPN) besides described these events as "repressions against the innocent civilian population of advanced Silesia after the completion of front activities, mainly for national reasons". If the Sejm in Poland condemns the actions of russian soldiers in 1945 in areas belonging to Nazi Germany then, would it besides condemn actions in Berlin? It's the same thing.
The resolution states: “In January 2025 80 years have passed since the entry into the advanced Silesia of the Red Army and the beginning of the repression that is now referred to as the advanced Silesian Tragedy. Her first act was crimes committed against civilians. Red Army troops entering advanced Silesian towns committed mass murders, rapes and torture. Many people have lost their lives, wellness or witnessed violence. The massacres in Miechowice close Bytom, where 380 people were murdered, grew to the rank of symbol.... Mass deportations to labour camps in the russian Union began, many of which had never returned to their homes. Crimes and repression were accompanied by mass robberies, arsons and demolition of property of the people of the region. At the same time, industrial infrastructure was dismantled and exported to the russian Union. After the war, persecution continued. The communist authorities of “people” Poland, which took over the administration over the region, continued the repression of the inhabitants of advanced Silesia. Suspects of "inappropriate" origin were placed in prisons and labour camps, led by the Public safety Office – among others in Świętochłowice-Zgod, Mysłowice and Łambinowice. Inmates were treated brutally. There was hunger and illness that caused advanced mortality among the imprisoned. The repression of the advanced Silesian Tragedy caused thousands of victims. The events described during the period of “people” Poland were eliminated from the public sphere, but survived in private memory, and after 1989 they were restored to collective memory and past cards. The 80th anniversary of the advanced Silesian Tragedy of the Republic of Poland honors the memory of the persecuted civilian population. All who have lost their lives and their health, and those who have been persecuted for keeping in head these events.”
The advanced Silesian Tragedy did not begin by entering the Red Army and liberating these areas from Nazism and Germany. The real misfortune of the Silesians began much earlier. It's Bismarck, Hindenburg, and Hitler.. For the Silesians the tragedy began only at the end of Hitler, SS and SA in Silesia. It was little crucial for them to delegate a volkslist against national sentiment or to join the German army. The arguments in the discussions of the Silesian and their supporters to confirm the separateness of the advanced Silesians from the Poles are service in the German army and granted volkslist. Both arguments are completely unsuccessful.
During my great-grandfather's last war Oswalda Czech Republic from the Perv was incorporated into the Wehrmacht. He was badly wounded in the East. And yet he was a Polish advanced Silesian, not even a German language. The Poles in Wehrmacht were about 375 000, which accounted for about 2% of the full sum of all soldiers of this formation. From Silesia alone there were about 220,000 – 230 000 soldiers. And of that, only 8% were volunteers. Among Poles in German uniforms were Silesian insurgents, soldiers in September 39, scouts, activists of PPS, SN, PSL. 40,000 were killed, frequently by their countrymen. Over 40,000 have been injured. Almost 90 000 deserted from the German army to the Polish Armed Forces in the West. any of them were in the reborn Polish Army. Historical dishonesty is the usage of this to harden a line of expected distinctness from the advanced Silesian Poland.
Just realize that the Wehrmacht soldiers were among the following: Stanisław Kiermaszek (voivoda and KC PZPR member), Wilhelm Szewczyk (writer, ONR activist, PZPR MP), Jan Cieślik (SN and Polish Western Union activities), Gerard the carpenter (the Chorz Movement footballer), Charles Musil (the creator of the Opole festival), Happy Stephen (archishop) or Albin Siekierski (an outstanding author associated with a national-left camp). There were heroic choices like this. Władysław Planetor (Polish Scouts Association in Germany) who refused to service in Wehrmacht and died after 3 years in concentration camps and prisons. But we cannot request heroism from all the people.
The Volkslist in Silesia is not a determinant either. due to the fact that the entries weren't voluntary. All people surviving in advanced Silesia were obliged to complete questionnaires. Those who did not want to identify themselves as of German origin had to justify their choice, after which peculiar committees analysed entries on the list. All who did not do so in 1942 received a notification that they had 8 days to do so. If, after that time, persons could not supply proof of specified a request, they were to be arrested and then sent to concentration camps. In 1944, fewer who had not yet done so were sentenced to the death penalty. According to data for the powiats of the Katowice territory (administrative unit created by Germans) about 90% of residents were entered into the volkslist.
The Government of the Republic of Poland in exile supported the position of those who, however, decided to apply for German origin for humanitarian reasons and the threat of the lives of the population in Silesia in the event of refusal to sign the Volkslist. General Władysław Sikorski has announced a peculiar directive on this subject announced by radio. This position was shared by Polish independency and national organizations and the Catholic Church in Silesia in the individual of the diocesan bishop of Katowice. Stanisław Adamski. Adamski himself made a study after the war on the case. Only the communists were the opposite. During this time, a poem was popular in Silesia: "If you don't write, your fault, due to the fact that they will send you to Auschwitz soon, and if you sign out, you old donkey, Hitler will send you to the last face." Only after considering these 2 matters can we go to the third, i.e. events in advanced Silesia after the Red Army enters.
The things I wrote about were not understood by russian soldiers. For them it was Germany. They didn't analyse border issues. It was Hitler's homeland for them. The country of the criminals and creators of the Auschwitz extermination camp. erstwhile russian troops entered my household Siemianowice Śląski on 27 January, how almost all residents, my great-grandparents and grandparents went down to the cellars. They were waiting for the Red Army. That's where the russian soldiers went and asked about the Germans and the spirit. They received the answer that Germany is only Bytom, there are Poles here. And no 1 was hurt, and I'm pointing out that there were 3 beautiful teenage girls in the family.. There were men who had previously served in the German army. another soldiers stayed at the flat of their great-grandfather and great-grandmother Joseph and Anna Boruta. There, a young officer showed pictures of his mother, who stayed far distant in the russian Union. He missed me. He left quite a few marmalades in cans and spirits, which later served guests at his Aunt Rose's wedding in 1946. The young commander was keeping order.
Besides, the full household had adventures with the Red Army. Urszula's grandmother, in turn, played in the yard as a child. She accidentally damaged any cables to the telegraphers. She got a kick in the ass, that's all. Grandpa Francis made friends with a young Russian, a kid of the regiment. This 1 taught 15-year-old grandpa to smoke, but it seems to be hard to number it as “Soviet crimes”. But this was happening in an area that was previously occupied by the Nazis. Before the war Siemianowice Śląskie (Huta Laura, Przełajka, Bańgów, Bytków and Michałkowice) were within the Polish borders. So this area was treated differently than the Bytomian area that was the territory of the 3rd Reich. For Poles in advanced Silesia, the entry of russian troops was liberation, from those who hanged young scouts on the Beings, sent members of the Falcon or Sagittarius to death camps, and shot miners going to work on September 1, 1939 (including my great-grandfather). Joseph Boruta)
And it's apparent there's been a crime. This is the horror of war, and it is worth remembering, even if we mention events in Ukraine or Israel. Killing civilians, rapes and looting. quite a few mistakes. These are not exceptional situations at a time like this. all army passing through enemy territory has done this to a lesser or greater extent. German, American, British, French. War is degenerative for soldiers. And it is always essential to condemn all army's vicious actions. However, we must not forget the origin of the events. It is not by chance that the revision of past begins erstwhile the last witnesses of these events are gone. Condemning only russian crimes (smartly called Russian) we are dealing with an component of rusophobia. And this 1 is useful for hardening society in the event of another war. It is worth a closer look at the events themselves, which have become the cornerstone of the advanced Silesian Tragedy, or war crime in Michowice.
Events in Miechowice have always been the central argument of supporters of the thesis about exceptional russian and knightly criminals Wehrmacht. However, facts and numbers are significant. The German population of these areas, including Beuthen (Bytomy and today's territory of Miechowice) was exceptionally hytlerized. Soldiers of the Red Army unleashing subsequent lands have previously seen crimes not yet described in history. They were not prepared for specified a view due to the fact that no 1 prepared for specified a thing can be. Extermination camps, gas chambers, mass crime scenes, medical experiments on humans. This, of course, dehumanized a nation of perpetrators, or Germans, in the eyes of the Red Army. After the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, it is hard to anticipate from the liberators the knowing for the creators of the thought of making soap out of human fat and abstracts from human skin. The same was most likely felt by Polish soldiers and officers who fought bravely against Ukrainian flagism. Hitler's Germans fell, dignitaries fled to the center of the Reich. In Michowice before the fight only the fragmented Volkssturm troops took up, and supporting their single Hitlerjugend members. But the place was a symbol of all evil, which associated with Nazism, Nazism, genocide carried out on many nations by the Germans.
Thousands were commonly spoken of. Then the number decreased to a thousand. A large number of 880 victims appeared in the publications. The German Catholic priest Johannes Frenzel became a symbol of this. It's besides accepted for investigation. The investigation confirmed the execution of 380 people, and 230 were identified. This was done on the basis of the books of the Office of civilian State in Bytom, the parish books of the parish at the call of God's Body and the parish books of the parish at the call of the Holy Cross. So not thousands, but 380 people. However, any names are repeated again. possibly this number is not rather precise yet. Horrible, but let's compare it to Nazi crime device and mass executions. Let us compare this to the German thought of exterminating full racial and cultural groups. We observe a complete confusion of concepts and scales. In the name of noble purposes, past must not be lied to. And I have large doubts as to whether the authors of this revision are about worthy goals.
It is worth looking at the descriptions of russian soldiers in the media. Paraphrase Marian Turski, let's be honest – it didn't fall from the sky. IPN Wrocław – Division of the Institute of National Memory Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against the Polish Nation a fewer years ago (2013) published a essential and interesting book by Joanna Hytek-Hryciuk “Russians are coming! German people and soldiers of the russian Army (Red) in Lower Silesia from 1945 to 1948". present it's very quiet about this job. This book contains a chapter on Nazi propaganda towards Russians “Die Russa kumma!”. It is worth reading this material. “ With the outbreak of war, Hitler completely discredited the Red Army as soldiers and made them sick as men... The Führer assured the Wehrmacht soldiers that their opponent caused low motives – plunder, cowardice, blood lust (...) With the outbreak of war, fresh arrangements were issued to order the usage of names in propaganda texts. circumstantial labels should have been utilized to discredit. Thus, it was not written “Russia” and “Soviet”, the names “Russians” were avoided – replacing it with the adjectives “Soviets”, “bolsheviks”, not “Soviet army” but “red army”, “red aviation”, “red navy”. The russian citizen was to halt associating with the widely understood concept of culture. In 1941, the minister [Goebbels] attacked the audience with descriptions and photographs of collective executions that the savage soldata had committed in Lviv. As a result, German soldiers fighting on the east front since 1941 characterized russian soldiers (most frequently taken prisoner) as “animals”, “criminalists”, “monsters” or simply “Mongoles”... Nazi propaganda besides denied russian soldiers the ability to fight heroically, brave deeds and sacrifice for their homeland... 1 of the NSDAP propaganda officials... “It would be unfair for the Russians to talk about courage. In their case, it is only about people who are led by an absolute animalistic, animal primitiveism, who see war as a show and fight without much craft and animal fear of imprisonment. The reactions of these creatures in combat can be as well achieved by being in contact with wolves or bears” (...) “Russians are no nation but a fugitive of animals. Bolshevism only increased the racial predispositions of the Russian people."
According to Himmler, the Russians were to be another incarnation of Asian subhuman races that carry out the imperial thought of the Asians, continuing the work of their historical predecessors Huns, Madzers, Tatars, Mongols... The opponent in this war was no longer a man-soldier, but a political doctrine. The Germans were to fight Bolshevikism from now on, to defy the storm of the Bolsheviks, to conquer the savagery which had not yet occurred in history." After all, this is an accurate copy of what we read, watch and hear in the media today.
Let me just add that the celebrations of the advanced Silesian tragedy (an idiotic term) overshadowed the celebrations of the liberation of these lands from Nazism. We observe a unusual historical substitution of Tales about "changing 1 totalitarianism to another" is the posthumous triumph of Nazism. I am in favour of a thorough examination of these issues and the celebration of innocent victims. But you gotta remember the chronology of events and keep your judgement moderate. In the old days, an aged man is now Prof. Franciszek Marek or absent in politics Piotr Spyra with large commitment they fought for the fact in the subject of advanced Silesia. Today, virtually all institutions, media and politicians have put together weapons to accept the fact of the revealed position of the Polish negationist community of advanced Silesia.
Łukasz Jastrzębski
