Communist Bund (Poland)
Encyclopedia
The Jewish Communist Labour Bund in Poland , generally referred to as the Kombund, was a Jewish political party
in Poland
. It was formed in 1922, after a split from the General Jewish Labour Bund
in 1921 (which had seen the emergence of the Kombund fraktsie, 'Communist Bund fraction' inside the Bund). The split was provoked by disagreements over whether the Polish Bund should join the Communist International. At the first Polish Bund conference in 1920 a majority resolution passed, calling for the party to join the Communist International. The decision was never executed however, leading to the split and the formation of Kombund. The Kombund was founded in late January 1922, by Communist Bundist groups. The new party affiliated itself to the Communist International, adopting the twenty-one conditions
. Around 25% of the Bund membership in Poland joined the Kombund.
According to one account, around 50% of the Bundist membership in Lodz
had joined Kombund. The local Bundist newspaper, Lodzer veker
, was taken over by Kombund.
Immediately after the split, the Bund and Kombund began fighting over control of trade union
s. Important leaders of the textile, leather and paper workers' unions had sided with the Kombund in the split. The leather workers' union was seized by Kombund, soon to be followed by the clothing workers' union.
Soon after the foundation of the Kombund, negotiations began with the Communist Party of Poland
regarding a merger between the two parties. In September the final decision was taken on the Kombund's merger into the Polish Communist Party. Just before the merger, the Kombund has suffered setbacks in trade union elections in Lodz
and Cracow.
Shortly after the merger, the Polish Communist Party established its Central Jewish Bureau
.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Poland
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...
. It was formed in 1922, after a split from the General Jewish Labour Bund
General Jewish Labour Bund in Poland
The General Jewish Labour Bund in Poland was a Jewish socialist party in Poland which promoted the political, cultural and social autonomy of Jewish workers, sought to combat antisemitism and was generally opposed to Zionism.-Creation of the Polish Bund:...
in 1921 (which had seen the emergence of the Kombund fraktsie, 'Communist Bund fraction' inside the Bund). The split was provoked by disagreements over whether the Polish Bund should join the Communist International. At the first Polish Bund conference in 1920 a majority resolution passed, calling for the party to join the Communist International. The decision was never executed however, leading to the split and the formation of Kombund. The Kombund was founded in late January 1922, by Communist Bundist groups. The new party affiliated itself to the Communist International, adopting the twenty-one conditions
Twenty-one Conditions
The Twenty-one Conditions, officially the Conditions of Admission to the Communist International, refer to the conditions given by Vladimir Lenin to the adhesion of the socialists to the Third International created in 1919 after the 1917 October Revolution. The conditions were formally adopted by...
. Around 25% of the Bund membership in Poland joined the Kombund.
According to one account, around 50% of the Bundist membership in Lodz
Lódz
Łódź is the third-largest city in Poland. Located in the central part of the country, it had a population of 742,387 in December 2009. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is approximately south-west of Warsaw...
had joined Kombund. The local Bundist newspaper, Lodzer veker
Lodzer veker
Lodzer veker was a newspaper of the General Jewish Labour Bund in Łódź, Poland. In 1922, it was taken over by the Jewish Communist Labour Bund. The General Jewish Labour Bund re-started the newspaper in October 1926, as a weekly....
, was taken over by Kombund.
Immediately after the split, the Bund and Kombund began fighting over control of trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s. Important leaders of the textile, leather and paper workers' unions had sided with the Kombund in the split. The leather workers' union was seized by Kombund, soon to be followed by the clothing workers' union.
Soon after the foundation of the Kombund, negotiations began with the Communist Party of Poland
Communist Party of Poland
The Communist Party of Poland is a historical communist party in Poland. It was a result of the fusion of Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania and the Polish Socialist Party-Left in the Communist Workers Party of Poland .-1918-1921:The KPRP was founded on 16 December 1918 as...
regarding a merger between the two parties. In September the final decision was taken on the Kombund's merger into the Polish Communist Party. Just before the merger, the Kombund has suffered setbacks in trade union elections in Lodz
Lódz
Łódź is the third-largest city in Poland. Located in the central part of the country, it had a population of 742,387 in December 2009. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is approximately south-west of Warsaw...
and Cracow.
Shortly after the merger, the Polish Communist Party established its Central Jewish Bureau
Central Jewish Bureau, Communist Party of Poland
The Central Jewish Bureau was a Jewish autonomous section inside the Communist Party of Poland. The CBŻ was founded shortly after the Kombund had merged into the Communist Party in 1923. The role of the CBŻ was to mobilize support for the Communist Party amongst the Jewish community...
.