Page 10 News of Polonia Pasadena, California April 2008

The Dialectics of Pain from 9 create new pseudo-nationalistic images [2] Quoted in Czesław Leopold and 1997). The standard published work on the depicting the Communists as the only decent Krzysztof Lechicki, Więźniowie polityczni WiN is Zygmunt Woźniczka, Zrzeszenie According to Kazimierz Krajewski, and patriotic force in Poland. Torture was an w Polsce, 1945-1956 (Warszawa: “Wolność i Niezawisłość” 1945-1952 Tomasz Łabuszewski, Piotr Niwiński, and indispensable tool to achieve this Wydawnictwo "Młoda Polska,” 1981), 6. (Warszawa: Instytut Prasy i Wydawnictw others torture was all pervasive and comprehensive goal. According to Kułak, [UP] “Novum” – “Semex”, 1992). However, it ubiquitous at every stage of the interrogation The main objective of the political trial [3] Materiały konferencji prokuratorów was partly plagiarized from Tomasz process. The secret police tortured captured was to change the consciousness of the wojewódzkich z udziałem przedstawicieli Honkisz, “Opór cywilny czy walka zbrojna? insurgents right on the battlefield, mostly to people (unlike in a normal country, where MBP, 19 December 1950, Archiwum Akt Dylematy polskiego podziemia extract information about their units but also the objective is to punish the criminals). The Nowych [afterward AAN], Prokuratura, file politycznego, 1945-1952,” (Ph.D. thesis, to terrorize their civilian sympathizers. people were to be informed that hitherto 1555, 5, quoted in Antoni Kura, “Represje Warszawa, Akademia Nauk Społecznych Members of the families of the insurgents they had lived in the morally tainted aparatu bezpieczeństwa publicznego w przy Komitecie Centralnym Polskiej were routinely tortured as well. Women, environment of pre-war Poland, where the latach 1944-1956,” Biuletyn Instytutu Zjednoczonej Partii Robotniczej, 1990). On children, and the elderly were not spared. ruling class had perfidiously lied to them. Pamięci Narodowej, no. 6 (June 2002): 29- the overt independentist political opposition The Communists frequently despoiled their The Communists also aimed at destroying 33. [UP] see Marek Latyński, Nie paść na kolana: homes and sometimes even destroyed them. the legend of the war-time and post-war [4] This is a letter smuggled out of a Szkice o opozycji lat czterdziestych [24] independentist underground. The homo Communist jail and delivered to his wife in (London: Polonia Book Fund Ltd., 1985); Regional historian Krystyna Pasiuk sovieticus was to be persuaded that thanks December 1950. A Polish underground Romuald Turkowski, Polskie Stronnictwo conducted a case study of a single to the media and newspapers, i.e. the soldier of the Home Army, Ciepliński Ludowe w obronie demokracji 1945-1949 independentist insurgent unit fighting the propaganda of the Communist proxy fought the Nazis and Communists. He was (Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Sejmowe, 1992); Communists in the Suwałki area between regime, he knew the truth about the captured by the Communist secret police, Andrzej Paczkowski, Stanisław 1949 and 1954. She confirms that government of interwar Poland. The truth tortured, and shot on March 1, 1951. “Gryps Mikołajczyk: Klęska realisty (Zarys “contemporary interrogation offices were was presented to him as a conspiracy theory Łukasza Cieplińskiego do żony i syna z biografii politycznej) (Warszawa: Agencja torture chambers… [and] the beating of the concocted by the Communist secret police. grudnia 1950 r.,” quoted in Zbigniew Omnipress, 1991); Mirosław Piotrowski, prisoners was the norm.” However, Pasiuk A denizen of the Polish People‟s Republic Lazarowicz, “Mord na Mokotowie,” Nasz Pro fide et patriae: Stronnictwo Pracy i stresses that the secret police torture was the could learn that the leadership of the AK Dziennik, 3 March 2003. duchowieństwo Kościoła katolickiego na most ferocious during the initial arrests. continued the criminal policy of [Polish pre- [UP] Lubelszczyźnie po II wojnie światowej Later, once every insurgent that was not war Foreign Minister Józef] Beck and [5] For example, Henry VIII of England had (Lublin: Ośrodek Studiów Polonijnych i killed on the battlefield was captured, “the [Marshal Edward] Śmigły-Rydz who the relatives and friends of his second wife, Społecznych PZKS w Lublinie, 2001). [UP] beating ceased.” By that time, having collaborated with Nazi Germany. One Anne Boleyn, tortured to establish her [12] “O czym nie pi szą szmatławce,” eradicated the immediate threat, the secret understood from the Communist propaganda marital infidelity, including incest. It is Polska i Świat, no. 3, vol. 7 ( 1 July 1945 ), police had enough evidence to secure that the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising debatable whether the alleged infidelities Hoover Institution Archives, Polish Subject convictions and, because of the hopelessness had been coordinated with the Germans and took place at all or the king was looking for Collection [afterward HIA, PSC ], Box 61, of their predicament, the insurgents were that the Communists were the only true a convenient excuse to get rid of his consort. Folder Polska i Świat. [UP] physically and psychologically exhausted patriots, fighting for Poland ‟s If the latter was the case, then the Boleyn [13] See a secret communication (gryps) enough to confess to anything.[25] independence. Meanwhile, the AK and the affair falls outside the category of the from “Tygrys,” quoted by Marek Dere ń, However, in some cases torture was Office of the Government Delegate mainstream application of torture. [UP] “„Warszyc‟ i jego żołnierze,” Nasz evidently applied even following a police unscrupulously denounced the Communists [6] All these legal authorities are quoted in Dziennik, 23 April 2002. [UP] provocation when the functionaries of the to the Gestapo in exchange for freeing Edward Peters, Torture (Philadelphia, Penn.: [14] The following prominent insurgent terror apparatus were intimately aware of all members of the pro-London underground. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1996), 1 commanders chose that kind of death: AK- the details of a situation they themselves had The latter conspiracy was hence only [afterward Torture]. [UP] Wilno Land Self-Defense (Samoobrona set up. According to historian Ryszard apparent, because it feigned its struggle [7] A Polish underground fighter imprisoned Ziemi Wileńskiej – SZW) Staff Sergeant Śmietanka-Kruszelnicki that was the case against the Germans in congruence with the by the Nazis secretly sent out a letter from Anatol Urbanowicz “Laluś” (suicide, May with the so-called Polish Organization of theory of “passive struggle.” Thus, the jail describing the torture one had to endure. 27, 1945), WiN Major Marian Bernaciak Anti-Jewish Youth (Polska Organizacja Communists changed the meaning of such It included pouring water into a prisoner‟s “Orlik” (suicide, June 21, 1946), WiN Młodzieży Antyżydowskiej – POMA) in words as honor, patriotism, and nose, beating him on the soles of his feet, Second Lietenant Zbigniew Sochacki Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. This creation of independence. and thrusting needles under his fingernails. “Zbyszek” (suicide, July 3, 1946), WiN the secret police attracted a handful of Once the Polish society learned that all of See AAN, Delegatura Rządu, file 202/II-63, Sergeant Antoni Kopaczewski conspirators, most of whom were likely UB its heroes were really traitors, renegades, 151-52. For further information on the “Lew” (suicide, September 8, 1946), WiN agents. Nonetheless, the participants were Nazi agents, murderers of democratic torture by the Nazi secret police and its Lieutenant Jan Woś “Farys” (suicide, forced to confess that the POMA enrolled activists and peasants, the [Communist] cooperation with the Nazi judiciary against November 16, 1946), WiN Second 200 persons in its covert structures and 100 People‟s Tribune and other newspapers the Polish underground see also Leon Lieutenant Wiktor Zacheusz Nowowiejski persons in a guerrilla unit. In reality, the were also able to announce that the Teresiński, “O działalności Sądu “Je ż” (suicide, December 6, 1946), NZW POMA existed mainly in the interrogation [Catholic] priests are American and English Wojennego Rzeszy w okresie II wojny Staff Sergeant Józef Zadzierski records of the UB.[26] intelligence agents and had earlier served światowej,” Biuletyn Głównej Komisji “Wołyniak” (suicide, January 1, 1947), The At times, insurgents ostensibly tried for a the Gestapo. Badania Zbrodni Hitlerowskich w Polsce, “Thunder” Partisan Group Second particular crime were hardly interrogated If those were baseless allegations, their vol. 25 (1972): 189-198; Juliusz Pollack, Lieutenant Józef Kuraś “Ogień” (suicide, concerning that charge. Instead, the secret influence on the society would be nil. Wywiad, sabotaż, dywersja: Polski ruch February 22, 1947), AK-SZW Sergeant policemen simply forced them to reveal the However, the charges against the greatest oporu w Berlinie, 1939-1945 (Warszawa: Paweł Klikiewicz “Irena” (suicide, May 17, infrastructure of their organization, to authorities of pre-war Poland and the heroes Ludowa Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza, 1991), 1947), NZW Lieutenant Henryk Jastrzębski divulge the whereabouts of their of the struggle for national independence, so 93-95. [UP] “Bohun” (suicide, April 13, 1948), WiN confederates, and to confess to general eagerly preached by the Communist press, [8] Torture of Nazi concentration camp Second Lieutenant Wacław Kuchnio charges like “killing Jews” or “killing were leveled by pre-war political activists, inmates is a separate issue, usually not “Spokojny” (suicide along with his wife Communists.” According to several government officials, soldiers of connected to any police interrogation but, Zofia, June 8, 1948), WiN Second scholars, this was most notably the case with Underground Poland, oftentimes heroes of rather, undertaken to satisfy the sadistic Lieutenant Tadeusz Zieliński the so-called “Wierzchowiny trial” of 23 the Cross of Virtuti Militari [Poland‟s urges of the camp personnel or to punish an “Igła” (suicide, June 24, 1948), WiN officers of the National Armed Forces highest military decoration for valor], and infraction. [UP] Platoon Leader Władysław Sobczak (Narodowe Siły Zbrojne – NSZ) in Lublin persons enjoying universal respect. [9] This aspect of Communist terror is best “Czajka” (suicide, July 9, 1948), NZW in 1946.[27] Further, as Krzysztof Thus, the Communist system proved that depicted in a literary form by Arthur Second Lieutenant Franciszek Majewski Szwagrzyk has shown, the torture did not every single human being could be broken. Koestler, Darkness at Noon (New York, “Słony” (suicide, September 26, 1948), WiN automatically stop when the interrogation In exchange for the halt to the unimaginable Macmillan, 1941). For a detailed historical Platoon Leader Antoni Suliga was concluded. For example, military judge torture and in the hope of escaping the death analysis see Robert Conquest, The Great “Wicher” (suicide, October 23, 1948), WiN Major Feliks Aspis ordered his prisoners to sentence, the prisoners, who had been Terror: A Reassessment (New York: Oxford Captain Zdzisław Broński “Uskok” (suicide, be tortured if they retracted their confessions interrogated for many months in the University Press, 1990). [UP] May 21, 1949), NZW Platoon Leader Piotr in court.[28] Also the research of John dungeons of the Ministry of Public Security [10] For example, whereas erstwhile secret Rzędzian “Szczupak” (suicide, January 15, Micgiel confirms readily that the on Koszykowa Street in Warsaw and who policeman Colonel Grzegorz Kilanowicz 1949), the Conspiratorial Polish Army Communist legal system employed illegal had been turned into the human wrecks, aka Korczyński was severly beaten, former (Konspiracyjne Wojsko Polskie – KWP) means to extract confessions from its were ready to sign anything so that the military intelligence supervisor General Second Lieutenant Andrzej Jaworski prisoners.[29] secret policemen would desist beating them; Mendel Kossoj aka Wacław Komar was “Marianek” (suicide, August 1949); NZW Jerzy Kułak focused on the interrogation so that the prisoners could sleep for a “merely” deprived of sleep. Accused of Lieutenant Kazimierz Żebrowski methods of the functionaries of the Security moment following a week-long, non-stop “right-nationalist deviation” Korczyński “Bąk” (suicide, after dispatching his Office (Urząd Bezpieczeństwa – UB) and interrogation session, where only the withstood the torture. Suspected of wounded son Jerzy “Konar”, December 3, concluded that “torture and killing of interrogating officers rotated. “cosmopolitanism,” Komar promptly broke 1949); WiN Lieutenant Mieczysław prisoners were typical features of their Most of the accused and witnesses down. See Jerzy Morawski, “Spacer dla Pruszkiewicz “Kędziorek” (wounded and work.”[30] Next, he analyzed nine major acquiesced in playing the role assigned to wrogów partii,” Rzeczpospolita, 18 July dispatched by an underling, Walerian Tyra show trials held at the central level and them by the secret police officers and 2002; George H. Hodos, Show Trials: “Zuch,” who then committed suicide, May numerous other cases before lower propaganda experts. During the show trial, Stalinist Purges in Eastern Europe, 1948- 14, 1951), WiN Platoon Leader Lucjan Communist courts. The scholar has the prisoners stuck strictly to the plan 1954 (New York: Praeger Publishers, 1987), Niemyjski “Krakus” (suicide, August 22, established that every prisoner was tortured masterminded beforehand by the supervisors 135-154. [UP] 1952), WiN Major Jan Tabortowski either physically or psychologically or both. of the investigation. Even if the main [11] On the independentist insurgency see “Bruzda” (wounded and dispatched by an The secret police targeted the heroes of the accused in a case did not play well the role Zrzeszenie “Wolność i Niezawisłość” w underling, 23 August 1954). See Kazimierz anti-Nazi and anti-Soviet underground, that had been imposed on him, there were dokumentach, 6 vols. (Wrocław: Zarząd Krajewski et al., Żołnierze wyklęci: opposition politicians, and Catholic priests. plenty of witnesses who splendidly filled in Główny WiN, 1997-2001); Jerzy Ślaski, Antykomunistyczne podziemie zbrojne po Almost all of them were forced to confess to the gaps. The audience at the show trial also Żołnierze wyklęci (Warszawa: Oficyna 1944 r., 2 nd expanded and corrected editon untruths both during their interrogation and influenced its atmosphere by angrily Wydawnicza Rytm, 1996); Grzegorz (Warszawa: Oficyna Wydawnicza Volumen during their show trials, which were reacting to the testimonies of the accused Wąsowski and Leszek Żebrowski, eds., and Liga Republikańska, 2002), 79, 91, 112, broadcast live on the Polish Radio. Besides and witnesses.[31] Żołnierze wyklęci: Antykomunistyczne 117, 120, 127, 129, 131, 138-40, 144, 147, securing guilty verdicts in almost all cases, podziemie zbrojne po 1944 roku 162-64, 195-96, 203, 228-29, 287, 292, 295, the Communists pursued successfully also Footnotes (Warszawa: Oficyna Wydawnicza Volumen 309, 348 [afterward Żołnierze wyklęci]. another goal: to compromise them morally [1] This paper was written for the 61st and Liga Republikańska, 1999); Kazimierz [UP] and everything they stood for before the Annual Meeting of the Polish Institute of Krajewski and Tomasz Łabuszewski, [15] For example, the underground paper of Polish society. False confessions Arts and Sciences of America (PIASA) at Białostocki Okręg AK- AKO : VII 1944- the NZW Przasnysz county command disseminated by mendacious propaganda McGill University, Montreal, Canada, June VIII 1945 (Warszawa: Oficzna Wydawnicza reported: “Ponownie nasze szeregi served to destroy, or at least to undermine, 6-7, 2003. [UP] Volumen and Dom Wydawniczy Bellona, the traditional nationalistic symbols and to The Dialectics of Pain to page 11