SPY WEEK Famous Polish Spies Part III A Web Of Intrigue

Witold Pilecki

Zofia and Stefan Korbonski

Krystyna Skarbek

Jerzy Pawlowski 
Marian Zacharski

Stefan Rowecki

These are just a few of the most famous Polish spies in history.  Few people are familiar with their names and much less aware of their involvement in secret missions. Some were heroic figures who used their stealth and dynamism to defeat their enemies during World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. Not merely agents, but the sons and daughters of Poland whose mission was the freedom of their beloved homeland. Their courage and sacrifices have made them legends. Of course, there were others whose espionage activities were less than admirable but in the process demonstrated their genius and daring in international, political and economic exploits.

Whatever the case may be, the Polish men and women working in espionage are truly a cut above all the rest. Though the KGB has often been the focus of media attention, the same cannot be said of Polish secret services. The reason for that is quite simple: Polish spies are superior to their Russian counterparts.

Most infamous were those Polish spies loyal to the Soviets during and after the war. Most of them were Polish Jews, although there were many Polish Christians as well. The activities of the NKVD, and the Ministry of Public Security of Poland were essentially instruments of destruction and torture of the Polish people  Their objective was to eliminate the Polish Underground and Polish Secret State - in short, to eradicate anti-communist activity.

Throughout the next few days, you will be introduced to stories about many Polish spies and discover some fascinating secrets as well as many tragic endings.  Forget about James Bond movies. Real life is much more interesting.  They say that truth is stranger than fiction. And so it is.