Jerzy Sosnowski
Encyclopedia
Jerzy Ksawery Franciszek Sosnowski (born December 3 or 4, 1896 in Lwow, died 1942,1944 or 1945 in the Soviet Union
) was a major of the Second Department of the General Headquarters of the Polish Army (called Dwójka) and a Polish spy
in Weimar Germany (1926–1934), using pseudonyms Georg von Nalecz-Sosnowski and Ritter von Nalecz. In the Soviet Union
, he was known as Jurek Sosnowski, some sources present his name as Stanislaw Sosnowski.
. In August 1914, he joined the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division
, and late in the same year, he was transferred to the cavalry officers’ academy in Holitz. After graduation, he was sent to the Eastern Front
, later completed the machine gunner course, and in March 1918 - an aviation course in Wiener Neustadt
’s renowned Theresian Military Academy
.
After Poland
regained independence in the fall of 1918, Sosnowski joined the newly created Polish Army. He fought with distinction in the Polish Soviet War, as a soldier of the 8th Uhlan Regiment of Prince Jozef Poniatowski. Promoted to the Rotmistrz, he became commandant of a horse squadron of the 8th Regiment. Sosnowski was an excellent cavalry rider, taking part in international tournaments in such places as Paris
and Berlin
.
). After completing a course, he was sent to Berlin, becoming director of the In-3 office of Polish intelligence.
Upon arriving in German capital, Sosnowski presented himself as a Polish Baron
Ritter von Nalecz, who deeply disliked Jozef Pilsudski
and wanted to closely cooperate with Germany. Furthermore, he was presenting himself as a rabid anticommunist, member of a secret antibolshevik military organization.
The young and handsome "Baron" quickly became popular among Berlin’s social circles and started an affair with Baroness Benita von Falkenhayn
, a relative of Erich von Falkenhayn
, former Chief of the General Staff of the German Imperial Army. In December 1926, he talked her into cooperating with Polish intelligence, as she, owing to her connections, had a detailed knowledge of the German General Staff.
Soon afterwards, Sosnowski managed to gain services of Günther Rudloff, officer of the Abwehr
’s Berlin’s branch. Rudloff agreed to cooperate, because he had owed a significant amount of money to the Pole.
Sosnowski’s quick successes raised temporary suspicion among officers of the Second Department of the General Headquarters in Warsaw. However, his next movements were even more impressive and convinced Polish headquarters of his professionalism. Agents working for the Polish spy included Irene von Jena of the Reichswehr
’s headquarters (Reichswehrministerium) as well as Renate von Natzmer
from the same office. As von Jena hated Poles, Sosnowski at first presented himself as a British journalist named Graves. Later, he revealed his real identity to her. Additional agents were Lotta von Lemmel and Isabelle von Tauscher, both of whom worked in the headquarters of the Reichswehr
. Some of these women, including von Falkenhayn and von Natzmer, were also his lovers.
All agents supplied the Poles with very useful documentation. In 1929 Sosnowski, with help from Renate von Natzmer, acquired a copy of a war game against Poland, called Organisation Kriegsspiel. He demanded 40 000 German marks for the document, but his superiors from Warsaw refused to pay so much, thinking that information provided by Sosnowski was in fact German disinformation, and Sosnowski himself had made a secret deal with von Natzmer. Ritter von Nalecz cut the price by half and finally, he sent all documents to Warsaw for free. Nevertheless, the Poles did not take advantage of these documents.
It is estimated that until 1934, the In-3 office, headed by Sosnowski and with a support base located at Polish embassy in Berlin, was the best of all foreign branches of Polish intelligence. At the same time, its activities were regarded as very expensive, costing around 2 million zlotys.
Sosnowski was arrested by the Gestapo
on February 27, 1934, during a party in an apartment at 36 Lützowufer Street. Within a few days, more people were incarcerated, including Benita von Falkenhayn, Renate von Natzmer, and Irene von Jena. Günther Rudloff managed to avoid arrest, as he claimed that due to cooperation with the Pole, he managed to get useful intelligence information. The Nazis found out about Rudloff's activities later, and facing the death sentence, he committed suicide on July 7, 1941.
The process began in February 1935. On the 16th of the same month, von Falkenhayn and von Natzmer were sentenced to death and later beheaded, while Sosnowski with von Jena were sentenced to life imprisonment. Sosnowski himself was shocked at the deaths of his mistresses, as he was quoted in Time, in the August 17, 1936 issue: I am haunted by the deaths of those women. Until I was released in an exchange of prisoners I had seen no human face for 14 months. My food was lowered to me by guards from a trap door. The tragic deaths of those two - my former associates - haunt me night & day and I can only attempt to gain peace through prayer for their souls. According to some sources, Benita von Falkenhayn wanted to marry Sosnowski, and thus save her life by obtaining a Polish passport, but Adolf Hitler
thwarted this attempt.
The agent was released in April 1936, when he was exchanged for three German spies, caught in Poland. As Polish headquarters had always been suspicious of Sosnowski and his astonishing successes, he was accused of fraud and high treason and put under house arrest. His trial started on March 29, 1938, in the Military District Court in Warsaw. Sosnowski denied all charges, but on June 17, 1939, he was found guilty of treason and cooperation with Germany and sentenced to 15 years as well as a fine of 200 000 zlotys fine. He wanted to appeal against the decision, but the outbreak of World War II
made it impossible .
or Jaremcze.
Another report states that Sosnowski was indeed shot, but survived and later was captured by the NKVD
. He was arrested on November 2, 1939, and by order of Pavel Sudoplatov
, transported to the Lubyanka prison in Moscow
. There, after talks with officers of Soviet intelligence, he decided to cooperate with them. He allegedly worked as an expert on Polish and German affairs, and among others, he reportedly participated in interrogations of General Mieczysław Boruta-Spiechowicz.
After the outbreak of German-Soviet War, Sosnowski, who had become an NKVD agent, taught at an espionage school in Saratov
, where in 1943 he was promoted to the rank of colonel. In the same year he allegedly was transferred to German-occupied Poland, where he cooperated with the communist People’s Army
. Allegedly, in September 1944, during the Warsaw Uprising
, he found himself in Warsaw, where he probably died. Ivan Serov
maintained that Sosnowski was executed by the Home Army in 1944, however, Pavel Sudoplatov
stated in 1958, that Sosnowski was executed in 1945 by order of Nikita Khrushchev
. Some Russian sources claim that he died in 1942 in Saratov, during a hunger strike.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) was a major of the Second Department of the General Headquarters of the Polish Army (called Dwójka) and a Polish spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
in Weimar Germany (1926–1934), using pseudonyms Georg von Nalecz-Sosnowski and Ritter von Nalecz. In the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, he was known as Jurek Sosnowski, some sources present his name as Stanislaw Sosnowski.
Early days
Sosnowski was born into a well-off family; his father was an engineer, owner of a construction company in Lwow, which then belonged to Austria-HungaryAustria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. In August 1914, he joined the Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division
Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division
Polish 1st Legions Infantry Division was a tactical unit of the Polish Army between the World Wars. Formed on February 20, 1919, partially of veterans of the I Brigade of the Polish Legions, the unit saw extensive action during the Polish-Bolshevik War and World War II.As one of the most...
, and late in the same year, he was transferred to the cavalry officers’ academy in Holitz. After graduation, he was sent to the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
, later completed the machine gunner course, and in March 1918 - an aviation course in Wiener Neustadt
Wiener Neustadt
-Main sights:* The Late-Romanesque Dom, consecrated in 1279 and cathedral from 1469 to 1785. The choir and transept, in Gothic style, are from the 14th century. In the late 15th century 12 statues of the Apostles were added in the apse, while the bust of Cardinal Melchior Klesl is attributed to...
’s renowned Theresian Military Academy
Theresian Military Academy
The Theresian Military Academy is an academy, where the Austrian Armed Forces train their officers. The Academy is located in the castle of Wiener Neustadt in Lower Austria.- History :...
.
After 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...
regained independence in the fall of 1918, Sosnowski joined the newly created Polish Army. He fought with distinction in the Polish Soviet War, as a soldier of the 8th Uhlan Regiment of Prince Jozef Poniatowski. Promoted to the Rotmistrz, he became commandant of a horse squadron of the 8th Regiment. Sosnowski was an excellent cavalry rider, taking part in international tournaments in such places as Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
Intelligence activities
In 1926 Sosnowski, following advice of his friend, captain Marian Chodacki, became member of the Second Department of the General Headquarters, which was responsible for military intelligence as well as espionage activities (see: History of Polish intelligence servicesHistory of Polish Intelligence Services
This article covers the history of Polish intelligence services dating back to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.-Commonwealth:Though the first official Polish government service entrusted with espionage, intelligence and counter-intelligence was not formed until 1918, Poland and later the...
). After completing a course, he was sent to Berlin, becoming director of the In-3 office of Polish intelligence.
Upon arriving in German capital, Sosnowski presented himself as a Polish Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
Ritter von Nalecz, who deeply disliked Jozef Pilsudski
Józef Pilsudski
Józef Klemens Piłsudski was a Polish statesman—Chief of State , "First Marshal" , and authoritarian leader of the Second Polish Republic. From mid-World War I he had a major influence in Poland's politics, and was an important figure on the European political scene...
and wanted to closely cooperate with Germany. Furthermore, he was presenting himself as a rabid anticommunist, member of a secret antibolshevik military organization.
The young and handsome "Baron" quickly became popular among Berlin’s social circles and started an affair with Baroness Benita von Falkenhayn
Benita von Falkenhayn
Benita von Falkenhayn, maiden name von Zolikofer-Altenklingen was a Swiss-born German baroness who was a spy for Poland....
, a relative of Erich von Falkenhayn
Erich von Falkenhayn
Erich von Falkenhayn was a German soldier and Chief of the General Staff during World War I. He became a military writer after World War I.-Early life:...
, former Chief of the General Staff of the German Imperial Army. In December 1926, he talked her into cooperating with Polish intelligence, as she, owing to her connections, had a detailed knowledge of the German General Staff.
Soon afterwards, Sosnowski managed to gain services of Günther Rudloff, officer of the Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
’s Berlin’s branch. Rudloff agreed to cooperate, because he had owed a significant amount of money to the Pole.
Sosnowski’s quick successes raised temporary suspicion among officers of the Second Department of the General Headquarters in Warsaw. However, his next movements were even more impressive and convinced Polish headquarters of his professionalism. Agents working for the Polish spy included Irene von Jena of the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
’s headquarters (Reichswehrministerium) as well as Renate von Natzmer
Renate von Natzmer
Renate von Natzmer was a German noblewoman who worked for the army during the Weimar Republic and Third Reich. She also worked for Polish intelligence. In the early 30s, she met Polish agent major Jerzy Sosnowski and she became, like her friend Benita von Falkenhayn, his lover. They were arrested...
from the same office. As von Jena hated Poles, Sosnowski at first presented himself as a British journalist named Graves. Later, he revealed his real identity to her. Additional agents were Lotta von Lemmel and Isabelle von Tauscher, both of whom worked in the headquarters of the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
. Some of these women, including von Falkenhayn and von Natzmer, were also his lovers.
All agents supplied the Poles with very useful documentation. In 1929 Sosnowski, with help from Renate von Natzmer, acquired a copy of a war game against Poland, called Organisation Kriegsspiel. He demanded 40 000 German marks for the document, but his superiors from Warsaw refused to pay so much, thinking that information provided by Sosnowski was in fact German disinformation, and Sosnowski himself had made a secret deal with von Natzmer. Ritter von Nalecz cut the price by half and finally, he sent all documents to Warsaw for free. Nevertheless, the Poles did not take advantage of these documents.
It is estimated that until 1934, the In-3 office, headed by Sosnowski and with a support base located at Polish embassy in Berlin, was the best of all foreign branches of Polish intelligence. At the same time, its activities were regarded as very expensive, costing around 2 million zlotys.
Arrest and return to Poland
In the fall of 1933, the Abwehr found out about the Polish network of agents, probably due to the treachery of Lieutenant Jozef Gryf-Czajkowski, who was a double agent and who had previously held Sosnowski’s post in Berlin. Also, a German actress Maria Kruse, another of Sosnowski’s lovers, helped the Abwehr with the operation.Sosnowski was arrested by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
on February 27, 1934, during a party in an apartment at 36 Lützowufer Street. Within a few days, more people were incarcerated, including Benita von Falkenhayn, Renate von Natzmer, and Irene von Jena. Günther Rudloff managed to avoid arrest, as he claimed that due to cooperation with the Pole, he managed to get useful intelligence information. The Nazis found out about Rudloff's activities later, and facing the death sentence, he committed suicide on July 7, 1941.
The process began in February 1935. On the 16th of the same month, von Falkenhayn and von Natzmer were sentenced to death and later beheaded, while Sosnowski with von Jena were sentenced to life imprisonment. Sosnowski himself was shocked at the deaths of his mistresses, as he was quoted in Time, in the August 17, 1936 issue: I am haunted by the deaths of those women. Until I was released in an exchange of prisoners I had seen no human face for 14 months. My food was lowered to me by guards from a trap door. The tragic deaths of those two - my former associates - haunt me night & day and I can only attempt to gain peace through prayer for their souls. According to some sources, Benita von Falkenhayn wanted to marry Sosnowski, and thus save her life by obtaining a Polish passport, but Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
thwarted this attempt.
The agent was released in April 1936, when he was exchanged for three German spies, caught in Poland. As Polish headquarters had always been suspicious of Sosnowski and his astonishing successes, he was accused of fraud and high treason and put under house arrest. His trial started on March 29, 1938, in the Military District Court in Warsaw. Sosnowski denied all charges, but on June 17, 1939, he was found guilty of treason and cooperation with Germany and sentenced to 15 years as well as a fine of 200 000 zlotys fine. He wanted to appeal against the decision, but the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
made it impossible .
World War two
The further fate of Sosnowski is difficult to establish. According to one report, he was evacuated east from prison in early September 1939, and was shot by the prison guards on September 16 or 17, near Brzesc nad BugiemBrest, Belarus
Brest , formerly also Brest-on-the-Bug and Brest-Litovsk , is a city in Belarus at the border with Poland opposite the city of Terespol, where the Bug River and Mukhavets rivers meet...
or Jaremcze.
Another report states that Sosnowski was indeed shot, but survived and later was captured by the 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....
. He was arrested on November 2, 1939, and by order of Pavel Sudoplatov
Pavel Sudoplatov
Lieutenant General Pavel Anatolyevich Sudoplatov was a member of the intelligence services of the Soviet Union who rose to the rank of lieutenant general...
, transported to the Lubyanka prison in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. There, after talks with officers of Soviet intelligence, he decided to cooperate with them. He allegedly worked as an expert on Polish and German affairs, and among others, he reportedly participated in interrogations of General Mieczysław Boruta-Spiechowicz.
After the outbreak of German-Soviet War, Sosnowski, who had become an NKVD agent, taught at an espionage school in Saratov
Saratov
-Modern Saratov:The Saratov region is highly industrialized, due in part to the rich in natural and industrial resources of the area. The region is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centres in Russia...
, where in 1943 he was promoted to the rank of colonel. In the same year he allegedly was transferred to German-occupied Poland, where he cooperated with the communist People’s Army
Armia Ludowa
Armia Ludowa was a communist partisan force set up by the Polish Workers' Party during World War II. Its aims were to support the military of the Soviet Union against German forces and aid the creation of a pro-Soviet communist government in Poland...
. Allegedly, in September 1944, during the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
, he found himself in Warsaw, where he probably died. Ivan Serov
Ivan Serov
State Security General Ivan Aleksandrovich Serov was a prominent leader of Soviet security and intelligence agencies, head of the KGB between March 1954 and December 1958, as well as head of the GRU between 1958 and 1963. He was Deputy Commissar of the NKVD under Lavrentiy Beria, and was to play a...
maintained that Sosnowski was executed by the Home Army in 1944, however, Pavel Sudoplatov
Pavel Sudoplatov
Lieutenant General Pavel Anatolyevich Sudoplatov was a member of the intelligence services of the Soviet Union who rose to the rank of lieutenant general...
stated in 1958, that Sosnowski was executed in 1945 by order of Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
. Some Russian sources claim that he died in 1942 in Saratov, during a hunger strike.
See also
- Polish contribution to WWII
- History of Polish intelligence servicesHistory of Polish Intelligence ServicesThis article covers the history of Polish intelligence services dating back to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.-Commonwealth:Though the first official Polish government service entrusted with espionage, intelligence and counter-intelligence was not formed until 1918, Poland and later the...
- List of Poles
Further reading
- Zgorniak M., "IN-3". Sprawa Jerzego Sosnowskiego, "Studia Historyczne" t. 13, 1970, zeszyt 3
- Polmar N., Allen B. T., Ksiega szpiegow. Encyklopedia, Warszawa 2000.
- Zgorniak M., Wstep [w:] Faligot R., Kauffer R., Sluzby specjalne. Historia wywiadu i kontrwywiadu na swiecie, Warszawa 2006.
- Kolakowski P., NKWD i GRU na ziemiach polskich 1939-1945, Warszawa 2002.