Raids on communist prisons in Poland (1944-1946)
Encyclopedia
The anti-communist resistance in Poland (1944–1946), also referred to as the Polish anti-Communist civil war, was an armed struggle of Polish Underground
against the Soviet
takeover of Poland
at the end of World War II in Europe
. The guerrilla warfare, conducted by the resistance movement
formed already during the war
, included an array of military attacks launched against the Stalinist prisons, state security offices, detention facilities for political prisoners, and concentration camps set up across the country by the communists.
In January 1945, the puppet government installed in Poland by the advancing Red Army
formally disbanded the AK and invited its surviving members to come out into the open, guaranteeing them freedom and safety. Scores of underground fighters laid down their arms. They were arrested on the spot, tortured, thrown into camps, and deported to the east. Those who did not wish to surrender, regrouped in a clandestine manner in order to oppose the new occupiers. They formed the Freedom and Independence (Wolność i Niezawisłość WiN) among other organizations and together, liberated hundreds of political prisoners. The so called "Cursed soldiers
" of the Polish underground were eventually hunted down by security services and special assassination squads.
crossed the former eastern border of the Second Polish Republic
in the area of Volhynia
(near the village of Rokitno). In several months, they pushed the Wehrmacht
further west, reaching the line of the Vistula
river on July 24, 1944. The Soviet advance stopped short, while the Polish Armia Krajowa
attempted to liberate Warsaw
from the Nazis
ahead of the Red Army's offensive. The Warsaw Uprising
led by the exiled government in London was crushed after 63 days. On July 22, 1944, acting upon orders from Moscow
, the Polish communists who arrived in the eastern town of Chełm created the alternative pro-Soviet Committee
, soon renamed the Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland. With full political control by Stalin and Soviet sponsorship, the communists abandoned the parliamentary system
of prewar Poland as well as any preferences of the Polish voters, and based their new government's power solely on the Red Army control of the area.
Meanwhile, acting together under the command of Soviet General Ivan Serov
, the forces of NKVD
, SMERSH
and the Polish communist secret service (UB), which was modeled on the Soviet secret police, began countrywide operations against the members of the Home Army and other Polish resistance units loyal to the government-in-exile in London
. Some 25,000 underground soldiers, including 300 Home Army officers, were arrested, disarmed, and interned before October 1944. On October 15, 1944, Lavrentiy Beria
signed Order No. 0012266/44, which established a special NKVD Division 64, whose only task was to fight the Polish resistance. Tens of thousands were deported to Siberia
. Many members of the Polish underground were given the choice between a lengthy prison sentence, and service in the Soviet-run Polish Armed Forces in the East
. Faced with an unacceptable choice, and knowing about the grave fate of their own leaders (see: Trial of the Sixteen
), thousands of soldiers of the Home Army (which was disbanded on January 20, 1945) and other organizations decided to continue fighting for freedom after the defeat of Germany
.
or near civil war by many historians, as members of the independence movement carried out numerous attacks on both Soviet and Polish communist offices and institutions. In return, the Stalinist authorities carried out brutal pacification of civilians, mass arrests (see: Augustów chase 1945
), deportations, as well as executions (see: Mokotów Prison murder
, Public execution in Dębica
) and many secret assassinations.
The anticommunist movement responded with attacks on NKVD and Urzad Bezpieczenstwa camps, such as the Attack on the NKVD Camp in Rembertów
. The underground units often engaged in regular battles with the Soviets and their Polish clients (see: Battle of Kuryłówka). Those who fought the communists, were relentlessly hunted down. The fight was brutal, and the units loyal to the Polish government-in-exile did not hesitate to attack even large cities, to free their fellow soldiers kept in various prisons and detention camps across Poland.
Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation (IPN), published the Atlas of the Independence Underground in Poland 1944–1956, listing scores of armed attacks on communist prisons after World War II, in which hundreds of political prisoners were freed. The most daring assaults were conducted before October 1946.
For a chronological list of anti-Communist operations, please use table-sort buttons.
As per Atlas of the Independence Underground in Poland 1944–1956 by the Institute of National Remembrance
, 2007
) passed a resolution recognizing the merits of underground organizations and groups fighting for Poland's sovereignty after World War II. The resolution acknowledged their unequal struggle against the Soviet takeover of Poland and gave tribute to the fallen and murdered soldiers and the imprisoned members of all persecuted organizations including Freedom and Independence. This was the first official recognition of such magnitude intended to honor the fighters of the armed anti-communist underground. The bill was signed into law by President Bronisław Komorowski on 9 February 2011 and published in the Poland's Dziennik Ustaw
Nr 32 / 160 on 15 February 2011.
The original request to establish the anticommunist underground soldiers day in Poland was submitted in 2009 by the Polish war veterans' organizations including National Association of Soldiers of the Armed Forces (Związek Żołnierzy Narodowych Sił Zbrojnych) and the World Union of the Home Army Soldiers (Światowy Związek Żołnierzy Armii Krajowej). The initiative was backed by local authorities and central parliamentary clubs including Civic Platform
and the Law and Justice
. The legislative initiative for the enactment of the new national holiday was taken in 2010 by the late President Lech Kaczyński
.
Cursed soldiers
The cursed soldiers is a name applied to a variety of Polish resistance movements formed in the later stages of World War II and afterwards. Created by some members of the Polish Secret State, these clandestine organizations continued their armed struggle against the Stalinist government of Poland...
against the Soviet
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....
takeover of 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...
at the end of World War II in Europe
End of World War II in Europe
The final battles of the European Theatre of World War II as well as the German surrender to the Western Allies and the Soviet Union took place in late April and early May 1945.-Timeline of surrenders and deaths:...
. The guerrilla warfare, conducted by the resistance movement
Polish resistance movement in World War II
The Polish resistance movement in World War II, with the Home Army at its forefront, was the largest underground resistance in all of Nazi-occupied Europe, covering both German and Soviet zones of occupation. The Polish defence against the Nazi occupation was an important part of the European...
formed already during the war
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...
, included an array of military attacks launched against the Stalinist prisons, state security offices, detention facilities for political prisoners, and concentration camps set up across the country by the communists.
In January 1945, the puppet government installed in Poland by the advancing Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
formally disbanded the AK and invited its surviving members to come out into the open, guaranteeing them freedom and safety. Scores of underground fighters laid down their arms. They were arrested on the spot, tortured, thrown into camps, and deported to the east. Those who did not wish to surrender, regrouped in a clandestine manner in order to oppose the new occupiers. They formed the Freedom and Independence (Wolność i Niezawisłość WiN) among other organizations and together, liberated hundreds of political prisoners. The so called "Cursed soldiers
Cursed soldiers
The cursed soldiers is a name applied to a variety of Polish resistance movements formed in the later stages of World War II and afterwards. Created by some members of the Polish Secret State, these clandestine organizations continued their armed struggle against the Stalinist government of Poland...
" of the Polish underground were eventually hunted down by security services and special assassination squads.
Soviet westward offensive across occupied Poland
On the night of January 3–4, 1944 the advancing Red ArmyRed Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
crossed the former eastern border of the Second Polish Republic
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...
in the area of Volhynia
Volhynia
Volhynia, Volynia, or Volyn is a historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Prypiat and Southern Bug River, to the north of Galicia and Podolia; the region is named for the former city of Volyn or Velyn, said to have been located on the Southern Bug River, whose name may come...
(near the village of Rokitno). In several months, they pushed the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
further west, reaching the line of the Vistula
Vistula
The Vistula is the longest and the most important river in Poland, at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is , of which lies within Poland ....
river on July 24, 1944. The Soviet advance stopped short, while the Polish 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...
attempted to liberate 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...
from the Nazis
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
ahead of the Red Army's offensive. 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...
led by the exiled government in London was crushed after 63 days. On July 22, 1944, acting upon orders from 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...
, the Polish communists who arrived in the eastern town of Chełm created the alternative pro-Soviet Committee
Polish Committee of National Liberation
The Polish Committee of National Liberation , also known as the Lublin Committee, was a provisional government of Poland, officially proclaimed 21 July 1944 in Chełm under the direction of State National Council in opposition to the Polish government in exile...
, soon renamed the Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland. With full political control by Stalin and Soviet sponsorship, the communists abandoned the parliamentary system
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
of prewar Poland as well as any preferences of the Polish voters, and based their new government's power solely on the Red Army control of the area.
Meanwhile, acting together under the command of Soviet General 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...
, the forces of 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....
, SMERSH
SMERSH
SMERSH was the counter-intelligence agency in the Red Army formed in late 1942 or even earlier, but officially founded on April 14, 1943. The name SMERSH was coined by Joseph Stalin...
and the Polish communist secret service (UB), which was modeled on the Soviet secret police, began countrywide operations against the members of the Home Army and other Polish resistance units loyal to the government-in-exile in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Some 25,000 underground soldiers, including 300 Home Army officers, were arrested, disarmed, and interned before October 1944. On October 15, 1944, Lavrentiy Beria
Lavrentiy Beria
Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria was a Georgian Soviet politician and state security administrator, chief of the Soviet security and secret police apparatus under Joseph Stalin during World War II, and Deputy Premier in the postwar years ....
signed Order No. 0012266/44, which established a special NKVD Division 64, whose only task was to fight the Polish resistance. Tens of thousands were deported to Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. Many members of the Polish underground were given the choice between a lengthy prison sentence, and service in the Soviet-run Polish Armed Forces in the East
Polish Armed Forces in the East
Polish Armed Forces in the East refers to military units composed of Poles created in the Soviet Union at the time when the territory of Poland was occupied by both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in the Second World War....
. Faced with an unacceptable choice, and knowing about the grave fate of their own leaders (see: Trial of the Sixteen
Trial of the Sixteen
The Trial of the Sixteen was a staged trial of 16 leaders of the Polish Underground State held by the Soviet Union in Moscow in 1945.-History:Some accounts say approaches were made in February with others saying March 1945...
), thousands of soldiers of the Home Army (which was disbanded on January 20, 1945) and other organizations decided to continue fighting for freedom after the defeat of Germany
End of World War II in Europe
The final battles of the European Theatre of World War II as well as the German surrender to the Western Allies and the Soviet Union took place in late April and early May 1945.-Timeline of surrenders and deaths:...
.
Polish anti-Communist civil war
The situation in Poland in the immediate aftermath of World War II has been described as an all-out civil war,or near civil war by many historians, as members of the independence movement carried out numerous attacks on both Soviet and Polish communist offices and institutions. In return, the Stalinist authorities carried out brutal pacification of civilians, mass arrests (see: Augustów chase 1945
Augustów chase 1945
The Augustów roundup was a military operation against the Polish World War II anti-communist partisans and sympathizers following the Soviet takeover of Poland...
), deportations, as well as executions (see: Mokotów Prison murder
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...
, Public execution in Dębica
Public execution in Debica (1946)
Public execution in Dębica refer to the execution of four Poles from the anti-communist Freedom and Independence organization in Dębica in 1946.-Introduction:...
) and many secret assassinations.
The anticommunist movement responded with attacks on NKVD and Urzad Bezpieczenstwa camps, such as the Attack on the NKVD Camp in Rembertów
Attack on the NKVD Camp in Rembertów
On May 21, 1945, a unit of the Home Army , led by Colonel Edward Wasilewski, attacked a Soviet NKVD camp located in Rembertów on the eastern outskirts of Warsaw. The Russians incarcerated there many hundreds of Polish citizens; members of the Home Army and underground fighters, whom they were...
. The underground units often engaged in regular battles with the Soviets and their Polish clients (see: Battle of Kuryłówka). Those who fought the communists, were relentlessly hunted down. The fight was brutal, and the units loyal to the Polish government-in-exile did not hesitate to attack even large cities, to free their fellow soldiers kept in various prisons and detention camps across Poland.
List of attacks on Stalinist prisons, camps and state security offices
In 2007, the Institute of National RemembranceInstitute of National Remembrance
Institute of National Remembrance — Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation is a Polish government-affiliated research institute with lustration prerogatives and prosecution powers founded by specific legislation. It specialises in the legal and historical sciences and...
Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation (IPN), published the Atlas of the Independence Underground in Poland 1944–1956, listing scores of armed attacks on communist prisons after World War II, in which hundreds of political prisoners were freed. The most daring assaults were conducted before October 1946.
For a chronological list of anti-Communist operations, please use table-sort buttons.
| City or town | Month | Year | Resistance operation with number of prisoners liberated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biala Krakowska Bielsko-Biała -Economy and Industry:Nowadays Bielsko-Biała is one of the best-developed parts of Poland. It was ranked 2nd best city for business in that country by Forbes. About 5% of people are unemployed . Bielsko-Biała is famous for its textile, machine-building, and especially automotive industry... |
May 12 | 1945 | A failed attack on a local prison. |
| Biała Podlaska | November 28 | 1944 | 2 political prisoners freed during an attack. |
| Biała Podlaska | March 9 | 1945 | 103 political prisoners liberated after an attack. |
| Biała Podlaska | May 21 | 1945 | 5 political prisoners were freed after an attack. |
| Białystok | May 9 | 1945 | 100 (or so) members of Home Army, National Armed Forces and National Military Organization National Military Organization Narodowa Organizacja Wojskowa was one of the Polish resistance movements in World War II. Created in 1939, it did not agree to merge with the Service for Poland's Victory /Union of Armed Struggle /Armia Krajowa but recognized the Polish government in exile. Politically related to the National Party... escaped after the local prison was taken over by them. |
| Biłgoraj | February 28 | 1945 | 40 political prisoners liberated after an DSZ unit captured the whole town. |
| Biłgoraj | May 27 | 1945 | A failed attempt by DSZ unit at destroying an SB prison. |
| Bludek village in southern Lublin Voivodeship Lublin Voivodeship - Administrative division :Lublin Voivodeship is divided into 24 counties : 4 city counties and 20 land counties. These are further divided into 213 gminas.... |
1945? | An attack on a local camp for political prisoners, by DSZ unit from Tomaszów Lubelski Tomaszów Lubelski Tomaszów Lubelski is a town in south-eastern Poland with 20,261 inhabitants . Situated in the Lublin Voivodeship , previously in Zamość Voivodeship . It is the capital of Tomaszów Lubelski County.-History:... ; the camp was captured and burned down, and the NKVD commandant of the camp executed. |
|
| Brzesko Brzesko Brzesko is a town in southern Poland, in Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It lies approximately west of Tarnów and east of the regional capital Kraków. Since Polish administrative reorganization , Brzesko has been the administrative capital of Brzesko County in Lesser Poland Voivodeship... |
May | 1945 | A failed attack on a local prison. |
| Brzeziny Brzeziny Brzeziny is a town in Poland, in Łódź Voivodeship, about 20 km east of Łódź. It is the capital of Brzeziny County. Population is 12,417 .- History :... |
September 6 | 1945 | A failed attack on a local prison. |
| Brzeziny | May 15 | 1946 | A failed attack on a local prison. |
| Brzozów Brzozów Brzozów is a town in south-eastern Poland, with 7,677 inhabitants . It is situated in Subcarpathian Voivodeship and is the seat of both Brzozów County and the smaller administrative district of Gmina Brzozów... |
December 13 | 1944 | 11 political prisoners freed after a local prison was captured by a Home Army unit. |
| Dąbrowa Tarnowska Dabrowa Tarnowska Dąbrowa Tarnowska is a town in Poland, in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, about north of Tarnów. It is the capital of Dąbrowa County. Before reorganization Dąbrowa Tarnowska was part of Tarnów Voivodeship . Population is 11'402... |
May 8–9 | 1945 | 80 (or so) political prisoners were freed after an independence unit took control of the town and the prison. |
| Grajewo Grajewo Grajewo , is a town in north-eastern Poland with 23,302 inhabitants .It is situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship ; previously, it was in Łomża Voivodeship... |
May 8–9 (night of) | 1945 | 100 (or so) political prisoners were liberated after several independence resistance units seized the whole town, killing 2 NKVD agents and 2 UB agents. |
| Grojec Grojec Grojec is a historic village in Oświęcim County in Lesser Poland Voivodeship in Poland. It lies approximately south of Oświęcim and west of the regional capital Kraków.... |
November 21 | 1945 | A failed attack on a prison, in which 2 UB agents were killed. |
| Hrubieszów Hrubieszów Hrubieszów is a town in southeastern Poland, with a population of 18,661 . It is the capital of Hrubieszów County. Since 1999 Hrubieszów has been part of Lublin Voivodeship . Earlier, 1975–98, it had been part of Zamość Province... |
December 19 | 1944 | 12 Home Army soldiers kept in a local prison were freed by their own unit. |
| Hrubieszów | May 27–28 | 1945 | Acting together, DSZ and Ukrainian UPA units captured the whole town, burning down local prison and killing 5 NKVD agents. |
| Janów Lubelski Janów Lubelski Janów Lubelski is a town in eastern Poland. It has 11,882 inhabitants .Situated in the Lublin Voivodship . It is the capital of Janów Lubelski County.It has a large hospital... |
April 27 | 1945 | 15 political prisoners liberated after an DSZ unit seized the town. |
| Jaworzno Jaworzno Jaworzno is a city in southern Poland, near Katowice. The east district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - metropolis with the population of 2 millions. Located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Przemsza river .... |
October | 1945 | A failed attack on the Central Labour Camp Jaworzno Central Labour Camp Jaworzno Central Labour Camp Jaworzno was a concentration camp in Jaworzno, Poland. It operated from 1943 until 1956, first run by Nazi Germany and then by the Soviet Union with the People's Republic of Poland... . |
| Kępno Kepno Kępno is a town in Poland. It lies on the outskirts of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, as it borders on Silesia and the Łódz Land, at the crossing point of two transport routes: north to south and east to west . As of December 31, 2009 Kępno had a population of 14,760... |
November 22–23 | 1945 | A local prison was captured, 5 UB agents and a Red Army soldier killed. |
| Kielce Kielce Kielce ) is a city in central Poland with 204,891 inhabitants . It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship... |
August 4–5 | 1945 | 354 political prisoners liberated; 3 UB agents and a soldier of the Red Army killed after the unit under Antoni Heda Antoni Heda Antoni Heda was a Polish military commander and a notable veteran of the Polish resistance movement in World War II and later independence movement against Soviet occupation following the war. Among the best known of his partisan actions was the raid on Communist prison in Kielce in August 1945,... took control of the city. |
| Koźmin Kozmin Koźmin may refer to the following places in Poland:*Koźmin, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Koźmin, Szamotuły County in Greater Poland Voivodeship *Koźmin, Turek County in Greater Poland Voivodeship... |
September 1 | 1945 | A local prison was destroyed. |
| Koźmin | October 10–11 | 1945 | A failed attack on a local prison. |
| Kozienice Kozienice Kozienice is a town in central Poland with 21,500 inhabitants . It is the capital of Kozienice County .-Description:... |
May 5–6 | 1945 | 8 political prisoners freed, and a Red Army soldier killed after an independence underground unit took control of the town. |
| 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... |
August 18 | 1946 | 64 political prisoners freed after a local prison was captured. |
| Krasnystaw Krasnystaw Krasnystaw is a town in eastern Poland with 19,615 inhabitants . Situated in the Lublin Voivodeship , previously in Chelm Voivodeship . It is the capital of Krasnystaw County.... |
November 22 | 1944 | 5 Home Army soldiers kept in a local prison, liberated by their fellow companions. |
| Krotoszyn Krotoszyn Krotoszyn is a town in central Poland with 30,010 inhabitants . It has been part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship since 1999; it was within Kalisz Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998.... |
August 24 | 1945 | A failed attack on a local prison. |
| Limanowa Limanowa Limanowa is a small town in southern Poland, in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It is the capital of Limanowa County.... |
April 17 | 1945 | 13 political prisoners were freed after a local prison was captured. |
| Łomża | May 21 | 1945 | A local prison was destroyed, 2 UB agents were killed. |
| Łowicz | March 8 | 1945 | 73 political prisoners were freed after a local prison was captured by the former Home Army unit. |
| Łuków | January 24 | 1946 | 27 political prisoners liberated after a Freedom and Independence unit captured the town and the prison; 3 UB agents killed. |
| Maków Mazowiecki Maków Mazowiecki Maków Mazowiecki is a town in Poland, in the Masovian Voivodship. It is the powiat capital of Maków County . Its population is 10,850.... |
May 1 | 1945 | 42 political prisoners freed and 8 UB agents killed after an attack on a local prison. |
| Miechów Miechów Miechów is a town in Poland, in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, about 40 km north of Kraków. It is the capital of Miechów County. Population is 11,852 .... |
April 25–2 | 1945 | A local prison was destroyed. |
| Mława | June 3 | 1945 | An attack on a local prison in which unknown number of political prisoners was freed and 3 UB agents killed. |
| Nowy Sącz Nowy Sacz Nowy Sącz is a town in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the district capital of Nowy Sącz County, but is not included within the powiat.-Names:... |
April | 1946 | A failed attack on a local prison. |
| Nowy Targ Nowy Targ Nowy Targ is a town in southern Poland with 34,000 inhabitants , and the historical capital of the mountain region . The town is situated in the confluence of the rivers Biały and Czarny Dunajec, in a valley beneath the Gorce Mountains. It's in Nowy Targ County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship... |
April 17–18 | 1945 | A local prison destroyed by the unit under Józef Kuraś Józef Kuras Józef Kuraś, born in 1915 in Waksmund, was a lieutenant in the Polish Army who fought in the Polish September Campaign, a partisan of Armia Krajowa and Bataliony Chłopskie in the Podhale region and after World War II one of the leaders of anticommunist resistance... , 4 UB agents killed. |
| Ostrów Wielkopolski Ostrów Wielkopolski Ostrów Wielkopolski is a town in central Poland with 72,360 inhabitants , situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship; the seat of Ostrów Wielkopolski County.-History:Recently, a small fortified dwelling dating from the 10th century was discovered on the north-east side of... |
September 2 | 1945 | A failed attack on a local prison. |
| Pabianice Pabianice Pabianice is a town in central Poland with 69 648 inhabitants . Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship, it is the capital of Pabianice County... |
June 10 | 1945 | 10 political prisoners were freed after a local prison was captured. |
| Pińczów Pinczów Pińczów is a town in Poland, in Świętokrzyskie Voivodship, about 40 km south of Kielce. It is the capital of Pińczów County. Population is 12,304 .-History:... |
June 3–4 | 1945 | A failed attack on a local prison, 1 UB agent killed. |
| Piotrków Trybunalski Piotrków Trybunalski Piotrków Trybunalski is a city in central Poland with 80,738 inhabitants . It is situated in the Łódź Voivodeship , and previously was the capital of Piotrków Voivodeship... |
June 17 | 1945 | An attack on a detention camp for the Home Army soldiers; the camp was captured and destroyed and 5 UB agents killed. |
| Przemyśl Przemysl Przemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship.... |
May 14–15 | 1945 | 58 persons escaped after the arrested soldiers of the Home Army took control of the prison. |
| Przeworsk Przeworsk Przeworsk Ukrainian: Переворськ, is a town in south-eastern Poland with 15,675 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. Since 1999 it has been in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, and is the capital of Przeworsk County.... |
May 15 | 1945 | A failed attack on a local prison. |
| Puławy | April 24 | 1945 | 117 political prisoners were freed, and 7 UB agents killed. |
| Rabka | December 11 | 1945 | A local prison was captured, 1 UB agent killed. |
| Radom Radom Radom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and... |
September 9 | 1945 | 300 (or so) political prisoners were liberated, 2 Red Army soldiers and one UB agent killed. |
| Radomsko Radomsko Radomsko is a town in central Poland with 50,618 inhabitants . It is situated on the Radomka river in the Łódź Voivodeship , having previously been in Piotrków Trybunalski Voivodeship . It is the capital of Radomsko County.... |
April 19–20 | 1946 | 5 political prisoners were freed after the town was captured and a local prison destroyed. |
| Radzyń Radzyn There are two cities in Poland known as Radzyń:* Radzyń Chełmiński, a town in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship* Radzyń Podlaski, a town in the Lublin Voivodship*Radzyń, Łódź Voivodeship, a village in central Poland... |
Dec. 31 – Jan. 1 | 1945–46 | A failed attack on the prison, carried out by the Freedom and Independence unit. |
| Rembertów Rembertów Rembertów is a district of the city of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Between 1939 and 1957 Rembertów was a separate town, after which it was incorporated as part of the borough of Praga Południe. Between 1994 and 2002 it formed a separate commune of Warszawa-Rembertów... |
May 20–21 | 1945 | 800–1400 men were liberated after an attack on NKVD prison camp (for more information, see: Attack on the NKVD Camp in Rembertów Attack on the NKVD Camp in Rembertów On May 21, 1945, a unit of the Home Army , led by Colonel Edward Wasilewski, attacked a Soviet NKVD camp located in Rembertów on the eastern outskirts of Warsaw. The Russians incarcerated there many hundreds of Polish citizens; members of the Home Army and underground fighters, whom they were... ). |
| Rozwadów Rozwadów Rozwadów is a suburb of Stalowa Wola, Poland. Founded as a town in 1690, it was incorporated into Stalowa Wola in 1973. The Rozwadów suburb of Stalowa Wola included a thriving Jewish shtetl prior to World War II, closely associated with the Jewish communities of Tarnobrzeg and other nearby... |
February 3 | 1946 | A failed attack on a local prison. |
| Rzeszów Rzeszów Rzeszów is a city in southeastern Poland with a population of 179,455 in 2010. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River, in the heartland of the Sandomierska Valley... |
October 7–8 | 1944 | A failed attack on a prison located in Rzeszów Castle made by a Home Army unit under Colonel Łukasz Ciepliński. Home Army lost 2 men, Red Army also 2, Milicja Obywatelska Milicja Obywatelska Milicja Obywatelska was a state police institution in the People's Republic of Poland. It was created in 1944 by Soviet-sponsored PKWN, effectively replacing the pre-war police force. In 1990 it was transformed back into Policja.... – 2 as well. |
| Sandomierz Sandomierz Sandomierz is a city in south-eastern Poland with 25,714 inhabitants . Situated in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship , previously in Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship . It is the capital of Sandomierz County . Sandomierz is known for its Old Town, a major tourist attraction... |
March 10 | 1945 | 100 (or so) political prisoners broke free from the local prison. |
| Sokołów Podlaski | October | 1944 | A failed Home Army attack on a local prison. |
| Szamotuły | June 7–8 | 1945 | 2 political prisoners were freed after a local prison was captured. |
| Szczyrk Szczyrk Szczyrk is a town in the Beskid Śląski mountains of southern Poland, situated in the valley of the Żylica river. It is part of the Silesian Voivodeship , previously being part of the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship . It has a population of 5,810 people .The town is a popular winter sports centre, with... |
July 19 | 1945 | A failed attempt to capture a local prison. |
| Tarnobrzeg Tarnobrzeg Tarnobrzeg is a city in south-eastern Poland, on the east bank of the river Vistula, with 49,419 inhabitants, as of December 31, 2009. Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship since 1999, it had previously been the capital of Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship... |
November 2 | 1944 | 15 Home Army soldiers freed from local prison by a Home Army unit. |
| Tarnów Tarnów Tarnów is a city in southeastern Poland with 115,341 inhabitants as of June 2009. The city has been situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999, but from 1975 to 1998 it was the capital of the Tarnów Voivodeship. It is a major rail junction, located on the strategic east-west connection... |
July 1 | 1945 | 35 political prisoners were liberated after a local prison was captured. |
| Węgrów Wegrów Węgrów is a town in eastern Poland with 12,561 inhabitants . Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship , it is the capital of Węgrów County.First mentioned in historical records in 1414, it received its citycharter in 1441... |
May 17–18 | 1945 | 2 political prisoners freed after an attack on a local prison. |
| Włodawa | October 22 | 1946 | 100 (or so) political prisoners were freed after a local prison was captured. |
| Włoszczowa | April 22 | 1945 | A failed attack on a local prison. |
| Wyrzysk Wyrzysk Wyrzysk is a town in Poland with 5,263 inhabitants, situated in Piła County, Greater Poland Voivodeship.- Geographic location of municipal-rural community of Wyrzysk:... |
May 24 | 1946 | 43 political prisoners were liberated, and 1 UB security agent killed after a local prison was captured. |
| Zakopane Zakopane Zakopane , is a town in southern Poland. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998 it was in of Nowy Sącz Province, but since 1999 it has been in Lesser Poland Province. It had a population of about 28,000 as of 2004. Zakopane is a... |
February 1 | 1946 | A failed attack on a local prison. |
| Zakopane | October 13 | 1946 | A failed attack on a local prison. |
| Zamość Zamosc Zamość ukr. Замостя is a town in southeastern Poland with 66,633 inhabitants , situated in the south-western part of Lublin Voivodeship , about from Lublin, from Warsaw and from the border with Ukraine... |
July 22 | 1944 | 18 Home Army soldiers kept in a local prison were freed by their fellow companions. |
| Zamość | October 7 | 1944 | 34 Home Army soldiers kept in a local prison were freed by their own unit. |
| Zamość | May 8 | 1946 | 301 political prisoners were freed after an attack carried out by the Freedom and Independence unit. |
| City or town | Month | Year | Resistance operation with number of prisoners liberated |
Institute of National Remembrance
Institute of National Remembrance — Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation is a Polish government-affiliated research institute with lustration prerogatives and prosecution powers founded by specific legislation. It specialises in the legal and historical sciences and...
, 2007
Polish National Day of Remembrance
In 2001 the Polish Parliament (SejmSejm
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 ....
) passed a resolution recognizing the merits of underground organizations and groups fighting for Poland's sovereignty after World War II. The resolution acknowledged their unequal struggle against the Soviet takeover of Poland and gave tribute to the fallen and murdered soldiers and the imprisoned members of all persecuted organizations including Freedom and Independence. This was the first official recognition of such magnitude intended to honor the fighters of the armed anti-communist underground. The bill was signed into law by President Bronisław Komorowski on 9 February 2011 and published in the Poland's Dziennik Ustaw
Dziennik Ustaw
Dziennik Ustaw or Dziennik Ustaw Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej is the most important Polish publication of legal acts. It is the only official source of law for promulgation of Polish laws. The publication of this journal is solely the responsibility of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland...
Nr 32 / 160 on 15 February 2011.
The original request to establish the anticommunist underground soldiers day in Poland was submitted in 2009 by the Polish war veterans' organizations including National Association of Soldiers of the Armed Forces (Związek Żołnierzy Narodowych Sił Zbrojnych) and the World Union of the Home Army Soldiers (Światowy Związek Żołnierzy Armii Krajowej). The initiative was backed by local authorities and central parliamentary clubs including Civic Platform
Civic Platform
Civic Platform , abbreviated to PO, is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Poland. It has been the major coalition partner in Poland's government since the 2007 general election, with party leader Donald Tusk as Prime Minister of Poland and Bronisław Komorowski as President...
and the Law and Justice
Law and Justice
Law and Justice , abbreviated to PiS, is a right-wing, conservative political party in Poland. With 147 seats in the Sejm and 38 in the Senate, it is the second-largest party in the Polish parliament....
. The legislative initiative for the enactment of the new national holiday was taken in 2010 by the late President Lech Kaczyński
Lech Kaczynski
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
.