Karol Chmiel
Encyclopedia
Karol Chmiel was born on April 17, 1911 in the village of Zagorzyce (now in Ropczyce-Sędziszów County
, Subcarpathian Voivodeship
) to a peasant family of Antoni and Katarzyna née Charchut. He graduated from high school in Dębica
, then joined the prestigious Jagiellonian University
in Kraków
, where he studied law. After graduation, in 1935, Chmiel settled in Wojslaw, a village near Mielec
, his wife Irena Suchodolska was a school principal, and he worked for the Town Hall in Mielec.
As early as January 1940, Chmiel became a member of Zwiazek Walki Zbrojnej
, with nom de guerre "Los". Since January 1941 he was commandant of a platoon in Zagorzyce, which was part of Dębica's District of ZWZ (later: Home Army). Nominated to colonel, in 1943 he decided to move to Bataliony Chłopskie (BCh), becoming in early 1944 commandant of BCh's Dębica District. He participated in Operation Tempest
activities in the area of Dębica, being member of local headquarters of the anti-German resistance.
Some time in 1944, Chmiel drove a captured German car, but he forgot to display a Polish flag on it, and was peppered with bullets by the Home Army soldiers. Shot 13 times, he was severely wounded, but managed to survive. Nevertheless, he became partly disabled.
(WiN). In 1947 he became member of WiN's headquarters and political advisor of Łukasz Ciepliński as well as a liaison between Cieplinski and PSL's Stanislaw Mikolajczyk
.
Asked by Ciepliski, Chmiel, together with Stefan Rostworowski created a "Memorial to the United Nations". This document presented crimes committed by Soviet and Polish secret services on members of the disbanded Home Army and anti-Communist activists. Reportedly, WiN was planning to move him to the West, but these plans were nipped in the bud.
in Warsaw
. For three years he was tortured, and his family did not know about his whereabouts, as contact with outside world was strictly prohibited.
On October 14, 1950, by the order of the Warsaw Area Court, Chmiel was sentenced to two deaths. President Bolesław Bierut did not pardon him, and together with Chmiel, other members of WiN were sentenced (see: 1951 Mokotów Prison execution
).
On September 17, 1992, Karol Chmiel was cleared of all charges by the Warsaw Military Court.
Ropczyce-Sedziszów County
Ropczyce-Sędziszów County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, south-eastern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is...
, Subcarpathian Voivodeship
Subcarpathian Voivodeship
Podkarpackie Voivodeship , or Subcarpathian Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, or province, in extreme-southeastern Poland. Its administrative capital and largest city is Rzeszów...
) to a peasant family of Antoni and Katarzyna née Charchut. He graduated from high school in Dębica
Debica
Dębica is a town in southeastern Poland with 46,693 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It is the capital of Dębica County. Since 1999 it has been situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it had previously been in the Tarnów Voivodeship .-Area:...
, then joined the prestigious Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, where he studied law. After graduation, in 1935, Chmiel settled in Wojslaw, a village near Mielec
Mielec
Mielec is a city in south-eastern Poland with a population of 60,979 inhabitants, as of June 2009. It is located in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship ; previously it was in Rzeszów Voivodeship...
, his wife Irena Suchodolska was a school principal, and he worked for the Town Hall in Mielec.
World War two
At the beginning of Polish September Campaign, Chmiel tried to escape east, to the area of Lwów, where his wife's family owned an estate. Unable to do so, they returned to the village of Zagorzyce, with a 3-year old son Jerzy. On January 6, 1940, Chmiel's wife died, after delivering their second son Zbigniew. After this, the boys were looked after by Irena's mother and her sisters.As early as January 1940, Chmiel became a member of Zwiazek Walki Zbrojnej
Zwiazek Walki Zbrojnej
Związek Walki Zbrojnej was an underground army formed in Poland following its invasion in September 1939 by Germany and the Soviet Union that opened World War II.The precursor to the ZWZ was the Service...
, with nom de guerre "Los". Since January 1941 he was commandant of a platoon in Zagorzyce, which was part of Dębica's District of ZWZ (later: Home Army). Nominated to colonel, in 1943 he decided to move to Bataliony Chłopskie (BCh), becoming in early 1944 commandant of BCh's Dębica District. He participated in Operation Tempest
Operation Tempest
Operation Tempest was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II by the Polish Home Army , the dominant force in the Polish resistance....
activities in the area of Dębica, being member of local headquarters of the anti-German resistance.
Some time in 1944, Chmiel drove a captured German car, but he forgot to display a Polish flag on it, and was peppered with bullets by the Home Army soldiers. Shot 13 times, he was severely wounded, but managed to survive. Nevertheless, he became partly disabled.
After the war
After 1945, Chmiel settled in Kraków, where he opened a grocery store and bought a house in Swoszowice, a village in the suburbs. He was an active member of Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe (PSL), and secretly a member of the anti-Communist organization Wolnosc i NiezawisloscWolnosc i Niezawislosc
Zrzeszenie Wolność i Niezawisłość WiN was a Polish underground anti-communist organisation founded on September 2, 1945 and active to 1952....
(WiN). In 1947 he became member of WiN's headquarters and political advisor of Łukasz Ciepliński as well as a liaison between Cieplinski and PSL's Stanislaw Mikolajczyk
Stanislaw Mikolajczyk
Stanisław Mikołajczyk , Polish politician, was Prime Minister of the Polish government in exile during World War II, and later Deputy Prime Minister in postwar Poland, before the USSR took political control of Poland....
.
Asked by Ciepliski, Chmiel, together with Stefan Rostworowski created a "Memorial to the United Nations". This document presented crimes committed by Soviet and Polish secret services on members of the disbanded Home Army and anti-Communist activists. Reportedly, WiN was planning to move him to the West, but these plans were nipped in the bud.
Arrest and incarceration
Karol Chmiel was arrested by the Urząd Bezpieczeństwa agents on December 12, 1947. Together with other members of WiN, he was moved to the infamous Mokotów PrisonMokotów Prison
Mokotów Prison is a prison in Warsaw's borough of Mokotów, Poland, located at Rakowiecka 37 street. It was built by the Russians in the final years of the foreign Partitions of Poland...
in Warsaw
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...
. For three years he was tortured, and his family did not know about his whereabouts, as contact with outside world was strictly prohibited.
Trial
The trial began on October 5, 1950 and it lasted for 5 days. Chmiel's family was allowed to enter the courtroom, so he had a chance to see his sons and hand them letters. One of these letters is now displayed in a museum in Jasna Góra.On October 14, 1950, by the order of the Warsaw Area Court, Chmiel was sentenced to two deaths. President Bolesław Bierut did not pardon him, and together with Chmiel, other members of WiN were sentenced (see: 1951 Mokotów Prison execution
1951 Mokotów Prison execution
On March 1, 1951, the Soviet-controlled communist Polish secret police, Urząd Bezpieczeństwa , carried out an execution of seven members of the 4th Headquarters of anti-Communist organization Wolność i Niezawisłość in the Mokotów Prison in Warsaw...
).
Execution
All sentenced persons spent their final night in separate cells. On March 1, 1951, all their private belongings were taken away, hands were tied, mouths taped. Then they were taken to an old boiler room and shot in the back of the head, while walking down the stairs. Chmiel was murdered at 8:15 pm, his body was buried in unknown location.On September 17, 1992, Karol Chmiel was cleared of all charges by the Warsaw Military Court.