COMMUNIST AGGRESION AGAINST POLES. REPRESSION OF ANTI-COMMUNIST OPPOSITIONIST LIDIA KUBIC

COMMUNIST AGGRESION AGAINST POLES.

REPRESSION OF ANTI-COMMUNIST OPPOSITIONIST LIDIA KUBICZEK AND JÓZEFA DUCZKOWSKA ACCORDNIG TO THE DOCUMENTS OF THE SECURITY SERVICE IN 1981-1982

Abstract

The text presents the story of the internment of two women - activists of NSZZ "Solidarność". First, the documents produced by the Security Service were considered, what made it possible to approximate the way this formation operated in action against members of the trade union opposition after the introduction of martial law in Poland on December 13, 1981.

Keywords: communism, People's Republic of Poland, opposition, internment, NSZZ "Solidarność".

Introduction

In the People's Republic of Poland (PRL) already in the 1960s, the possibility of internment of political opponents was considered. On October 11, 1961, the National Defence Committee created a decree draft on martial law, which in point 27 provided for the isolation of oppositionists in special centres. The next document which provided for the use of this type of repression was the draft of the regulation of the Council of Ministers on the rules and procedure for adjudicating about internment of persons endangering the defence and security of the State during wartime . The preparatory works were conducted with various intensity over next several years, and in 1980 the Ministry of the Internal Affairs of the People's Republic of Poland already had ready plans for the future martial law .

From that time, the internment action of opposition activists was being prepared, among others. by drawing up and updating the lists of persons to be placed in detention centres. Less than thirteen thousand people throughout the country were to be interned . Both the August agreements and the legalization of NSZZ "Solidarność" were only tactical concessions of the authorities, which were to be corrected soon by a "forceful solution" .

In the spring of 1981, the most important documents necessary for the implementation of the planned martial law were developed. This documentation was code-named "Spring - 81", and was approved by Stanisław Kania , the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers Party (PZPR) and General Wojciech Jaruzelski .

The legal basis for the introduction of martial law were the provisions of the Decree on Martial Law of December 12, 1981, which in Chapter V ("Preventive measures"), in Art. 42 sec. 1 stipulated that every citizen who reached the age of 17 and did not guarantee loyal behaviour towards the "socialist homeland" could be interned for a practically indefinite period, until the end of the martial law. Such an imprecise record allowed the deprivation of liberty of practically every person.

The legal basis for internment in some provinces (e.g., Torun and Opolskie) was to be Art. 4 of the "decree" of December 12, 1981, on the protection of state security and public order during martial law. Interestingly, in the decrees of the Council of State published a few days later, there is no such legal act, because formally it simply did not exist! It may not have been officially promulgated, but in some parts of the country it was mistakenly ordered to include its name in the internment decisions. Another explanation is the "renaming" (changing the name) of a legal act draft with this title, apparently already in circulation, to the published decree of December 12, 1981 on martial law . However, the print-out of the decision on internment were prepared before the name of the decree introducing martial law was changed . Art. 42 sec. 1. Decree of December 12, 1981 on martial law: "Art. 42 sec. 1: "The Polish citizens above the age of 17, in relation to whom, due to their behaviour so far, there is a reasonable suspicion that while at large they will not comply with the legal order or will conduct activities that endanger the security or defence interests of states, may be interned for the duration of the martial law in the detention centres. These provisions do not violate the immunities resulting from special provisions.'

 Until December 1981, it was planned to open a detention centre in the Remand Centre in Opole, but due to the location of the facility in the city centre and exposure from all sides, this intention was abandoned (the centre for the interned functioned there for only a month). After the imposition of martial law, such centres were set up in prisons in Nysa, Strzelce Opolskie and Grodków .

 In the night of December 12/13, 1981, the long-prepared "Jodła" operation began, conducting the internment of trade union and opposition activists according to previously agreed lists. In Opole region, 350 people, including 154 SB (Security Service) officers and 196 MO (Polish Communist Police) officers, conducted the arrests using 120 cars, including 22 private cars of officers .

To be let into the apartments, the Security Service officers were supposed to pretend to be the postman (!) and even alarm that the water was flooding the offices of "Solidarność,” and they had to hurry to rescue. The detainees were transported to assembly points, detention centres, provincial MO headquarters, from where they were sent to detention centres .

Below I present the stories of the internment of two women, the activists of the democratic opposition from the Opolskie province - from the moment of detention to the moment of release from the place of detention - seen through the eyes of the secret police, i.e., based on documents produced by the Security Service and MO, which are in the archives of the Institute of National Remembrance - IPN.

Lidia Kubiczek

The decision to isolate Lidia Kubiczek was made in November 1980. Exactly on November 6, the "request for isolation in the event of a serious internal threat" concerning her comes from that day .

On November 16, 1981, a "warning conversation plan" was drawn up with Kubiczek. This conversation was intended to "warn against conducting the anti-state activities"

 Lidia Kubiczek , born on February 6, 1931 in Lviv, the doctor of chemical sciences , the employee of the Institute of Heavy Organic Synthesis "Blachownia" (ICSO) in Kędzierzyn-Koźle, in 1980 was the initiator of the creation of "Solidarność" structures at her native institute, in the years 1980 - 1981 she performed the function of the chairman of the Company Commission (KZ) of NSZZ "Solidarność" at ICSO, until April 1981 she was the chairman of the Inter-Enterprise Founding Committee (MKZ) of new trade unions in Kędzierzyn-Koźle. This year, she also became a delegate to the 1st National Congress of Delegates of NSZZ "Solidarność", held from September 5 to 10 and from September 26 to October 7, 1981. Lidia Kubiczek was single, she lived with her mother Waleria, who was 86 in 1981 in Kędzierzyn-Koźle at 10 D/7, Harcerska Street, she had chronic health problems .

 The decision on internment No. 42/81 was issued on December 12, 1981, with a "universal justification" - "it is against the basic economic and political interests of the People's Republic of Poland." As the legal basis, similarly in all documents of this type in the Opole region, Art. 42 of the non-existent "decree" of the same day on the protection of State security and public order during the martial law. After her arresting, Kubiczek was to be placed in a detention centre in Opole .

 Based on the decision of internment “an arrest warrant” order to detain and bring in” and a little later - an "arrest order" was issued, for the time being in the Kędzierzyn arrest .

 The arresting of Lidia Kubiczek on December 13, 1981, before 4.50 was made by Lieutenant Władysław Uksik from the Municipal Police Headquarters (KMO) in Kędzierzyn-Koźle . The search was conducted by Halina Ciesiołkiewicz from Provincial Headquarters KW MO in Opole . The following items were "Found and taken": ID card, glasses case with glasses, purse, 960.60 Polish zloty, toothbrush, “Solidarność” stamp, comb and watch of Poliot make . The details of the detention are described in an official memo prepared by Second lieutenant Kazimierz Kowalski, M.Sc. : “On December 13, 1981, in accordance with the official order, I took steps to arrest Lidia Kubiczek […]. I went to [...] the address and, using the house bell, called the woman to the doors, who, when asked to open the doors: "Please open the doors, militia", refused to obey the order. […] After breaking the lock, the doors was locked only with the […] chain. Then the woman stated that her mother suffering the heart disease was in the apartment. I decided to inform the duty officer of KM MO in Kędzierzyn-Koźle about the above and refrain from execute the decision. After approx. 15 min. an officer of the local KM MO arrived, lieutenant Władysław Uksik with another officer, while I finished my official duties”. The second officer was Lieutenant Roman Brzoza, an inspector of the GUT section in the Kędzierzyn headquarters. He wrote: "About 3.50 on December 13, 1981, I went [...] to secure the apartment together with Lidia Kubiczek, who lived there, because the mother of the above-mentioned woman, an 86-year-old woman, complained of high blood pressure. Approx. at about 4:00 a.m., a doctor on duty of emergency medical service arrived at the scene, who, after examining […] of the Kubiczek's mother, decided to place her in the hospital. The mother refused to go to the hospital by ambulance and stayed at home. At 4.25 the doctor left the apartment, Lidia Kubiczek was brought to the police car. Before bringing in of Lidia Kubiczek, she informed the neighbours from across the street to take care of her sick mother […] .

 On the same December 13, 1981, at 11.00 (12.00? 17.00?) Kubiczek was admitted to the Remand Centre in Opole . Two days later, on December 15, she asked the provincial commander of MO in Opole to revoke the decision on internment "due to the very serious health condition of her mother - she is 86 ; she has a serious heart disease, she has been in severe shock since taking me from home […]. I am her only custodian,” Kubiczek wrote . On the application there is a note by Jan Kucharski, the deputy head of the Remand Centre in Opole: "As I managed to determine by phone - the condition described above is true - today [...] at the mother Mrs. Kubiczek was a priest with the last rites" . However, Major A. Mikołajew, head of the 5th Department of KW MO in Opole, who wrote below, was adamant: “I believe that the brother can provide help, general of the Polish Armed Forces , residing in Warsaw. Due to the hostile attitude of Lidia Kubiczek in the past and now, she should not be released until the situation in the country is completely under control .” After a few days, such reviewed request of the Opole MO was sent to the Director of the Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Warsaw, requesting that it shall disregarded .

 On December 16, 1981, an interview was conducted with Lidia Kubiczek. The record shows that the internee steadfastly refused to sign the so-called "loyalty agreement.” “She categorically stated that she would never sign this document, as she had never conducted any harmful activity against the People's Republic of Poland. She also stated that both her activity as the chairman of KZ NSZZ “Solidarność” […] and the entire union was not and is not harmful. They never strived to overthrow or change the system in our country, but only fought to improve the social and material conditions of working people. She believes that our interpretation of their activities is incorrect because they operate in accordance with the statute approved and recognized by the authorities of the People's Republic of Poland. Regarding her further trade union activity, she stated that if the trade union "Solidarność" was not dissolved, she would continue to work in this union after she was released from detention […]" . The Security Service (SB) drew the following conclusions from this conversation: “[Lidia Kubiczek] is too self-confident, convinced of the rightness of her and the union actions. She is probably ready to sacrifice her personal freedom for a long time to prove that the truth is on their side. Her behaviour and attitude may negatively influence other internees; therefore, I propose to place her in a separate, single room of the arrest. In this situation, the person named does not deserve to be released from the arrest . "

 Another operational interview was conducted with Lidia Kubiczek on December 29, 1981. The internee was questioned about her trade union activity at the ICSO in Kędzierzyn-Koźle and her plans for the future in this range. She stated that her activity was only of a trade union nature, and the actions aimed at solving the most important social problems in the country (lack of food, housing, education, etc.) had never been directed against the system of the People's Republic of Poland. As for future trade union activity, she replied that "at this moment she can't say anything about it." In the summary of the conversation, the SB officer stated that “[Lidia Kubiczek] continues to take a negative position. She does not consider it appropriate to describe his trade union activities. I believe that the next talks should contribute to softening her position and achieving the goal assumed by us .

 On January 7, 1982, the attorney Jerzy Haliniak from the Law Team Office No. 2 in Kędzierzyn-Koźle asked for a meeting with Kubiczek . A handwritten note in the written form from January 18, 1982, shows that Lidia Kubiczek signed a power of attorney for this attorney, whose power of attorney was sent to the legal team.

 On January 19, 1982, Waleria Kubiczek, Lidia's aged and sick mother, was officially denied a visit to see her daughter . This was justified by the fact that Lidia Kubiczek was transported to the detention centre in Gołdap. In the same letter, it was noticed that KW MO in Opole applied to the president of Kędzierzyn-Koźle for Waleria Kubiczek to be covered by "an appropriate form of social welfare" . And indeed - the relevant letter was sent on the same day, January 19, 1982. On February 10 of that year, the head of the General Department of MO in Opole informed Lidia Kubiczek that her mother was covered by the help of the Polish Red Cross "in the size of 3 hours a day". In addition, the president of the city granted her a special purpose cash allowance in the amount of PLN 2,000. PLN and a food package .

 On February 22, 1982, Lidia Kubiczek applied for a seven-day leave to visit her sick mother . The letter contains a handwritten annotation by Major A. Mikołajew, the head of Department III "A" of MO: "I propose to refuse the request, as the mother of the interned may be looked after by her son, a General of the Polish Armed Forces residing in Warsaw. The mother of L. Kubiczek is currently being looked after by former "Solidarność" activists and neighbours, and the appearance only of L. Kubiczek in Kędzierzyn-Koźle, where propaganda activity has recently taken place, may intensify this activity and activate the underground activity of "Solidarność" . On March 2, 1982, Lidia Kubiczek received official information that "the Provincial Commander of MO in Opole, having considered all the circumstances, settled the request [...] with refusal" .

 The case of releasing Kubiczek from the place of separation "became blushing" only at the beginning of the summer of 1982. On June 29, in response to the appeal of the bishop of Opole, Alfons Nossol, for the release of Lidia Kubiczek, Roman Kirstein and Jerzy Łysiak, Colonel Urantówka, the provincial commander of MO in Opole, stated that "the dismissal of L. Kubiczek is currently being considered and appropriate decisions will be made in the near future" .

 On July 6, 1982, KW MO in Opole sent a secret letter to the head of the Investigation Department of KW MO in Suwałki in case of Kubiczek with a request to "notify […] about the manner of behaviour, attitude and the result of the conducted conversation regarding the signing of the declaration of loyalty", what was needed "to make a possible decision to revoke the internment" .

Regarding her release to take care of her old, ailing mother, Lidia Kubiczek personally turned to the mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross visiting the detention centre in Gołdap on June 30 - July 2, 1982. This prompted a "reconsideration" of her case .

On July 19, 1982, the head of the 5th Department of the Provincial MO in Opole "in connection with the guidelines of the Minister of the Internal Affairs and the stabilization of the socio-political situation in the Opolskie province" drew up an application for the release of Lidia Kubiczek from internment . Interestingly, the decision to revoke the internment itself is dated three days earlier, as it is dated July 16 . Lidia Kubiczek was released on July 24, 1982.

Józefa Duczkowska

Until December 13, 1981, she was the secretary of the company commission of the union NSZZ "Solidarność" at the PKS (National Automobile Communication) enterprise in Nysa, and she also worked for the union structures as an accountant. She was supposed to be interned at the very beginning of martial law, but at the request of the provincial commander of MO, the internment was revoked. Duczkowska was to start the trade union activity already during martial law, she maintained contacts with people distributing leaflets in Nysa. In addition, on May 3, 1982, on her inspiration, a wreath was placed under the cross at the church of St. St. Jakub and Agnieszka, with the inscription "Solidarność", "what resulted in the gathering of about 2,000 people in this place." Józefa Duczkowska's husband was a bus driver in the Nysa PKS, she did not work herself professionally, raising two daughters .

The decision to intern her is dated May 9, 1982. Duczkowska was to be sent to an internment centre for women in Gołdap then in the Suwałki province . The justification for the decision on internment reads: "During the period of martial law, she undertook preparatory activities aimed at conducting the activities threatening the interests of the People's Republic of Poland." There is a handwritten note on the document by the arresting officer: “She refused to sign. second lieutenant Jan Lemiński" .

After the arrest, the internee was placed in cell no. 27 of the Opole remand centre . During the detention (the personal search), 13 items were "questioned" at Józefa Duczkowska, which were included in the depositary receipt . Among them were clothes, medicines, and cash.

Practically immediately after the arrest of Duczkowska, efforts to free her began. On May 13, 1982, the head of the 5th Department of the Provincial MO in Opole received a letter from Sylwester Nowacki, in which he appealed for the release of "his sister [...] due to the poor health of her husband Jacek Duczkowski" . The police classified the matter as "very urgent" . Three medical certificates concerning Jacek Duczkowski's health were attached to the letter, including hospital treatment certificates at the neurological department of the hospital in Nysa . He also asked for his wife's release, pointing to the need for her to take care of her minor children. However, Major A. Mikołajew, head of the 5th Department of KW MO in Opole, provided the head of the Investigation Department with the findings according to which Mrs. Duczkowska's children were provided with social assistance, and the hospitalization of her husband is a "tactical ploy aiming at forcing the release of J. Duczkowska." . Therefore, "no grounds were found to revoke the decision on [her] internment [...]" .

On May 17, 1982, another complaint against Józefa Duczkowska's detention and internment was filed by her brother, Józef Nowacki . On May 21, the Opole provincial commander of MO ordered to hold talks with both these people "in connection with the intended release of the above-mentioned internee" .

On May 24, the authorities finally capitulated. On that day, the provincial commander of MO in Opole revoked the decision to intern the oppositionist and ordered her release from the detention centre in Gołdap on May 26, 1982. Following the cryptogram containing information about the release, a decision to revoke the internment was sent . A formal release document was issued on May 26, 1982 - based on it, immediate release from the centre in Gołdap should take place , On the same day, the certificate of release of the internee was issued however with the order to report to KW MO in Opole no later than May 29, 1982, .

Ending

I tried above to comment on the legal provisions and procedures applied to the internees. The narrative is certainly imperfect and incomplete, as many documents are missing - they were probably removed from the archives at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s. Despite all the shortcomings, they convey a picture of the fate of politically engaged people persecuted by the authoritarian regime. Their attitudes, choices, determination, or lack of it say a lot about the human condition in general, about functioning under pressure when you do not know what the next day will bring. Commitment and patriotism experienced by violence. We can also observe the organization and operation of the repressive apparatus at the basic level, we can tell a lot about the SB functionaries, their horizons of thought, views, and education. We give voice to people who are slowly going into the past. They speak to us through documents.

Resume

The text presents the story of the internment of two women - activists of NSZZ "Solidarność". First, the documents produced by the Security Service were considered, what made it possible to approximate the way this formation operated in action against members of the trade union opposition after the introduction of martial law in Poland on December 13, 1981.

Keywords: communism, People's Republic of Poland, opposition, internment, NSZZ "Solidarność", woman.

List of sources and literature

Literature

Bereszynski, Zbigniew. NSZZ "Solidarność" and the Solidarity revolution in Opole Silesia 1980 - 1990, vol. 2, Opole: Institute of National Remembrance - Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation; Branch in Wroclaw - Regional Office in Opole, 2014.

Perlak, Bartłomiej. Internees in Lower Silesia and the Opole region. Detention centres subordinated to the District Board of Prisons in Wroclaw (1981 – 1982). Wroclaw - Warsaw: Institute of National Remembrance - Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation, 2017.

Rogalewska Ewa (ed.). Interned women. Gołdap 1982 Białystok: Publishing House of the Institute of National Remembrance, 2008.

Internet sources

Bereszynski, Zbigniew. Lidia Teresa Kubiczek, http://www.encysol.pl/wiki/Lidia_Teresa_Kubiczek , accessed November 26, 2022.

Kubiczek Lidia Teresa - Biograms – Encyclopaedia of Solidarność (encysol.pl) , accessed January 16, 2023.

Brigadier General Ryszard Kubiczek, https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryszard_Kubiczek , accessed December 10, 2017.

Polak Wojciech, Internments in the night of December 12-13, 1981, file:///C:/Users/Andy/Downloads/pdf_file-0009-70749-1-34120.pdf , accessed September 20, 2022.

August Agreements - Poland in the 20th century | historia.pl - History of Poland , accessed December 13, 2022.

35th anniversary of the registration of NSZZ "Solidarność" | history.pl - History of Poland , accessed December 11, 2022.

Archives

Archives of the Institute of National Remembrance

IPN WR 012/3196, vol. 5, part 1

IPN WR 065/1049

IPN WR 012/3196 vol. 2

Auxiliary analytical material related to practical legal problems.

Legal opinion of the Institute of National Remembrance of 30th October 2013, sent to the chairman of the Legislative Committee of the Senate of the Republic of Poland (BPRV – 0711 – 1/13), http://www.senat.gov.pl/gfx/senat/userfiles/_public/k8/ documents/consultations/449/449_9.pdf accessed on September 21, 2023.