Community of the former 1st District of the Union of Poles in Germany and the public security apparatus in the years 1945–1950 (an outline of the problem) Cover Image

Środowisko byłej Dzielnicy I Związku Polaków w Niemczech a aparat bezpieczeństwa publicznego w latach 1945–1950 (zarys problemu)
Community of the former 1st District of the Union of Poles in Germany and the public security apparatus in the years 1945–1950 (an outline of the problem)

Author(s): Bernard Linek
Subject(s): History, Diplomatic history, Political history, Recent History (1900 till today), WW II and following years (1940 - 1949)
Published by: Ośrodek »Pamięć i Przyszłość«
Keywords: People's Poland;Silesian Opole;nationality politics;Union of Poles in Germany;State Secret Political Police;

Summary/Abstract: This article analyses the scale of the interest shown by the Silesian Voivodeship office of the state secret political police in prewar Polish activists from Silesian Opole. The article also examines how these activists, who – until 1939 – were members of the 1st District of the Union of Poles in Germany, were used. The presentation of this issue is based on both surviving politcal police materials of different types from the years 1945–1950 and other literature on this topic. Already before the war activists from the Polish minority in Opole had – for various reasons (espionage, political activity) – been an subject of interest for the Polish secret service (especially Department II of the Polish General Staff – intelligence). Equally, after the war – and for other reasons – these groups became the focus of interest of the communist secret service, in particular the political police. The main reason for the interest in the members of these groups were their prewar political associations and the postwar political engagement of representatives of this community, above all in the activity of the Polish People’s Party. Not without significance was also the fact that representatives of this community were natural political leaders of the native population. While before the war the participation of representatives of the Union resulted from patriotic motives, postwar involvement was typically compelled, either with the aid of direct threats to the lives of those enlisted or via threats of resettlement to Germany aimed at members of their families. From the end of the 1940s some people were blackmailed on the basis of their prewar activities.

  • Issue Year: 2/2018
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 139-156
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Polish