Mieszkańcy Bydgoszczy wobec wejścia Armii Czerwonej do miasta w styczniu 1945 r.
Residents of Bydgoszcz facing the entry of the Red Army into the city in January 1945

Summary/Abstract: The article presents the attitudes and reactions of polish residents of By¬dgoszcz to the entry of the Red Army into the city in 1945. Some inhabitants were aware of the approaching front. The entry of the Soviet army was expected, as it meant, above all, the end of the cruel, over five-year long German occupation. Therefore, the conquest of Bydgoszcz was welcomed by the people; the reason for great enthusiasm was the appearance of Polish military units. The fights lasted sev¬eral days, and the inhabitants also joined the hostilities. At that time, anarchy and chaos reigned in the streets; the population and soldiers looted shops, warehouses, etc. A serious problem for the inhabitants of Bydgoszcz was the activity of the Red Army soldiers, who committed common robberies and rapes. Their social percep¬tion was definitely negative. Already during the battle for the city, state property was secured and rebuilt. Contrary to the claims of propaganda from the times of People’s Poland, the communist ideology did not play any role in this respect. The discussed issue has not been the subject of a broader study so far. The research was based primarily on eyewitness accounts, used printed (literature and press) and unpublished memories, radio broadcasts and resources of oral history.

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