JANUARY 13 - DAILY CHRONICLES OF HISTORY

JANUARY 13

1937

The University of Wilno was closed after a series of brawls between its Polish and Jewish students. The source of discord was the university's creation of what was referred to as "ghetto benches". This was segregation of the Jewish students, who were ordered to sit on opposite sides of the classroom. Several Polish students as well as Polish professors protested against the university ruling. The Rector of the university, Władysław Marian Jakowicki, resigned his position in protest over the introduction of the ghetto benches.

1953

Nine Jewish Doctors Arrested:  Pravda, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, published on article on January 13, 1953 entitled, "Vicious Spies and Killers under the Mask of Academic Physicians". The CPSU accused prestigious and prominent doctors in the USSR of plotting to poison top members of the Soviet political and military regime. Here is a segment translated to English, "Today the TASS news agency reported the arrest of a group of saboteur-doctors. This terrorist group, uncovered some time ago by organs of state security, had as their goal shortening the lives of leaders of the Soviet Union by means of medical sabotage. Investigation established that participants in the terrorist group, exploiting their position as doctors and abusing the trust of their patients, deliberately and viciously undermined their patients' health by making incorrect diagnoses, and then killed them with bad and incorrect treatments. Covering themselves with the noble and merciful calling of physicians, men of science, these fiends and killers dishonored the holy banner of science. Having taken the path of monstrous crimes, they defiled the honor of scientists......"   Stalin complained that there was no clear picture of the Zionist conspiracy and no solid evidence that specifically the Jewish doctors were guilty.  

1992

Solidarity declared its first strike against the democratically elected government: a one-hour strike against a proposal to raise energy prices. Lech Walesa, once an electrician by trade lamented his new position as President of the Republic of Poland. He complained that  "We made revolution, and it was the West that made profit on this, pushing on us on all this nicely wrapped scrap," Mr. Walesa said. "We have not defended our market at all, and the time has come for reflection......Certain things that are exceptionally drastic have to be closed down, but you cannot just close down all of Poland."  Mr. Walesa alluded to one of the biggest problems facing Eastern Europe and the nations of the former Soviet Union, the transformation from a state-controlled, centralized economy.