Boleslaw Piasecki
Encyclopedia
Bolesław Bogdan Piasecki (alias Leon Całka, Sablewski; born February 18, 1915 in Łódź, died January 1, 1979 in Warsaw
) was a Polish
politician and writer.
In interwar Poland
he was one of the more prominent nationalist politicians, playing an important role in the leadership of Obóz Narodowo-Radykalny
.
In 1934 he was interned in Bereza Kartuska. After his release, he became the leader of the illegal, extreme right faction ONR-Falanga. This organisation advocated "Catholic totalitarianism" and is considered by many to have been a fascist movement.
During the Second World War he fought in the Polish Underground, leading the grouping Konfederacja Narodu
(merged into the Armia Krajowa
in 1943) and taking part in the fighting around Vilnius
. Afterwards, he was arrested by the Soviet NKVD
, and in a drastic conversion from his previous stance began to cooperate with the Communist government in Poland.
After the war, in 1945, he cofounded and directed a so-called social progressive movement of lay Catholics, grouped around the weekly publication "Dziś i Jutro". In 1947 he created the PAX Association
and was the chairman of its governing body (until his death).
Until 1956, during the period of Stalinism
, this organisation was one of the main tools employed by the Communist regime to decrease the influence of the Catholic Church in Poland. It had almost an exclusive right to publish "Catholic" publications. In return, it vocally supported anti-church actions taken by the government.
After 1956, the importance of PAX diminished (and Piasecki's role along with it), though it remained a prominent organisation until 1989 and its successors still exist today.
In later years, Piasecki was a member of the Polish Sejm
from 1965, where he presided over the grouping of members associated with PAX. In 1971-1979 he was a member of the Polish Council of State
.
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
) was a Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
politician and writer.
In interwar Poland
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
he was one of the more prominent nationalist politicians, playing an important role in the leadership of Obóz Narodowo-Radykalny
Obóz Narodowo-Radykalny
The National Radical Camp was a Polish extreme right anti-semitic, anti-communist, and nationalist political party, formed on 14 April 1934 mostly by the youth radicals who left the National Party of the National Democracy movement....
.
In 1934 he was interned in Bereza Kartuska. After his release, he became the leader of the illegal, extreme right faction ONR-Falanga. This organisation advocated "Catholic totalitarianism" and is considered by many to have been a fascist movement.
During the Second World War he fought in the Polish Underground, leading the grouping Konfederacja Narodu
Konfederacja Narodu
Konfederacja Narodu was one of the Polish resistance organizations in occupied Poland during World War II. KN was created in 1940 by far-right National Radical Camp political party from several smaller underground organizations, including the Secret Polish Army...
(merged into the Armia Krajowa
Armia Krajowa
The Armia Krajowa , or Home Army, was the dominant Polish resistance movement in World War II German-occupied Poland. It was formed in February 1942 from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej . Over the next two years, it absorbed most other Polish underground forces...
in 1943) and taking part in the fighting around Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. Afterwards, he was arrested by the Soviet NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
, and in a drastic conversion from his previous stance began to cooperate with the Communist government in Poland.
After the war, in 1945, he cofounded and directed a so-called social progressive movement of lay Catholics, grouped around the weekly publication "Dziś i Jutro". In 1947 he created the PAX Association
PAX Association
The PAX Association was a pro-communist secular Catholic organization created in 1947 in the People's Republic of Poland. In 1953, PAX gave its support to the Stalinist show trial of the Kraków Curia, and took over the publication of the Catholic weekly magazine Tygodnik Powszechny – until the...
and was the chairman of its governing body (until his death).
Until 1956, during the period of Stalinism
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
, this organisation was one of the main tools employed by the Communist regime to decrease the influence of the Catholic Church in Poland. It had almost an exclusive right to publish "Catholic" publications. In return, it vocally supported anti-church actions taken by the government.
After 1956, the importance of PAX diminished (and Piasecki's role along with it), though it remained a prominent organisation until 1989 and its successors still exist today.
In later years, Piasecki was a member of the Polish Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
from 1965, where he presided over the grouping of members associated with PAX. In 1971-1979 he was a member of the Polish Council of State
Polish Council of State
The Council of State of the Republic of Poland was introduced by the 1947 Small Constitution. It consisted of the President of the Republic of Poland, the Marshal and Vicemarshals of Constituent Sejm, President of the Supreme Chamber of Control and could consist of other members...
.
Honours and awards
- Silver Cross of the Virtuti MilitariVirtuti MilitariThe Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
(1944) - Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1964), previously awarded the Commander's Cross (1955)
- Order of the Banner of WorkOrder of the Banner of WorkThe Order of the Banner of Work was a governmental award in Poland during the twentieth-century era of the communist People's Republic of Poland....
, 1st Class (1969)
Further reading
- Mikołaj Kunicki (2005). "The Red and the Brown: Boleslaw Piasecki, the Polish Communists, and the Anti-Zionist Campaign in Poland, 1967-68". East European Politics & Societies 19 (2): pp. 185–225.
- Dudek, Antoni/Pytel, Grzegorz (1990). Bolesław Piasecki. Próba biografii politycznej (Wstęp Jan Józef LipskiJan Józef LipskiJan Józef Lipski was a Polish critic and literature historian, socialist politician, and notable Freemason . As a soldier of the Home Army , he fought in the Warsaw Uprising...
). Londyn: Aneks. ISBN 0-906601-74-6.