THE POLISH DIASPORA: A SPECIAL SERIES: Introduction

Throughout Poland's long and tumultuous history millions of Polish men, women and children had to flee their beloved homeland in search for freedom, peace, and prosperity.   They scattered to the farthest reaches of the globe, putting down roots throughout Europe,  North and South America, and as far away as Africa, Asia and Australia.  Numbering over 20 million strong, the Polish Diaspora remains the largest in the world to this day.

With such vast numbers of Polish emigres in the world, there ought to be greater recognition of their significant contributions to our nations,  societies,  and communities.   The world has benefited greatly from the amazing accomplishments of great Polish men and women.  In its thousand year history, Poland has produced multitudes of illustrious scientists, inventors, astronomers, mathematicians, physicists, explorers, artists, writers, poets, philosophers, composers, musicians, and of course, Poland's great Generals and political leaders.   

Who among us has not heard of Copernicus, Chopin, Madame Curie?  Among contemporary Polish achievers, are Max Factor, Sr (nee Maksymilian Faktorowicz),  Steve Wozniak,  Andrjez Wajda, Roman Polanski, Wayne Gretzky, Antoni Patek (co-founder of famous watchmakers, Patek, Philippe Inc.), Martha Stewart, and many, many other talented and successful Polish people!

Polish people have always been dynamic trailblazers and innovators.  The Polish are not merely survivors of a bygone era, or refugees of WWII.  They possess a fearless spirit that triumphs over adversity, like the Phoenix rising out of the ashes.  

This blog post series, The Polish Diaspora, is dedicated to publicizing famous Polish people around the world.  Beginning in June,  Part 1 will showcase a few of the most celebrated Polish Canadians. This will be followed by blog posts about famous Polish-Americans,  famous Polish-Brits, and others!

This Special Series is not just meant to inform, but also to inspire, surprise and delight the reader.  If you cannot think of the names of ten great Polish people, I assure you that by the time this series is concluded, you will be quite the expert!

Charles De Gaulle once said, " Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so."  (And the Polish people are the most determined of all!)

Poloniae est mundum  Poland is the world

(quotation by Polish Greatness.com)

NEXT
(please click link below)

THE POLISH DIASPORA: PART 1
 FAMOUS POLISH CANADIANS

Massacre at Volhynia: Remembering the victims

Seventy years ago a reign of terror was unleashed against the Polish population of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia. It was a bloodbath - a horrific carnage of unspeakable proportions that even today historians are compelled to turn their faces away from the facts, preferring to remain oblivious to one of the most heinous massacres of World War II. Any mention of it during the communism era in Poland, was strictly taboo. Now the truth is slowly emerging.

At the start of WWII, political undercurrents rapidly escalated in the eastern borderlands of Poland that had catastrophic effects. Many Polish people were unknowingly on the precipice of destruction, but were assured by their Ukrainian neighbours that no malice would befall them.  It was a ruse.  Dmyto Klyachkivsky, senior commander of the UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army), had issued an order that all males of Polish origin between the ages of 16 and 60, residing in the regions of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia were to be "liquidated". The UPA action began in March 1943 and continued unabated to the end of the war. When it was all over, there were up to 90,000 Polish casualties: from 40,000 to 60,000 Polish people were murdered in Volhynia, and between 25,000 and 30,000 Poles were killed in Galicia. Most were women and children.

The UPA was the military adjunct of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, aka the Bandera faction, whose prime objectives were to establish a united,  independent  and ethnically homogeneous Ukrainian state.  All foreigners were considered enemies, foremost among them were the Polish people (in particular the Polish Underground), as well occupants from the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, and Nazi Germany.  

The strategy of the UPA  was to wield violence as a political tool in the attempt to drive out all non-Ukrainians from the future Ukrainian state.  (Incidentally, the UPA and OUN-B (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists) had briefly cooperated with Nazi German forces in waging battle against the Soviets when the Red Army began exhibiting military ambitions in the region.)   The level of violence grew to unimaginable proportions.  According to a OUN order, all traces of Polish establishments were to be completely erased foremost the destruction of Polish Catholic churches, Polish homes, and even trees and orchards that had been planted by Polish people,  "...so that there will be no trace that someone lived there....".

Victims of massacre committed by  UPA in Lipniki Poland 1943

The tensions between the Ukrainians and Polish peoples had its roots in antiquity, marked by the infamous Khmelnytsky Uprising from 1648 to 1657.  The battles resulted in substantial loss of control by the Polish szlachta (Polish nobility) as well as Jewish intermediaries and ecclesiastical hierarchy and virtually ended Polish power in the region.  Unsurprisingly, the void was quickly occupied by Imperial Russia.

However after the end WWI, nationalistic fervor exploded resulting in an epic struggle by Poles and Ukrainians to reclaim the territories of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia - a conflict which persisted during the inter-war years. During the 1930s the OUN launched a series of terrorist actions against the Second Polish Republic, but were met with swift government reprisals. Unfortunately, Polish efforts accomplished nothing to stem the hostilities and only served to further inflame the Ukrainian Resistance.

In September 1939, after the joint invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian nationalists seized upon the opportunity of "cleansing" Polish influence from territories that they considered to be Ukrainian. Theirs was more than a nationalistic fervor but rather, a vitriol reaction against Polonization.

The height of the carnage took place during the months of July and August of 1943, when UPA troops marched through hundreds of villages, killing thousands upon thousands of Polish civilians on sight. Roving gangs of murderous thugs teamed up with the UPA, and armed with torches, axes, pitchforks and bayonets, descended upon villages, raping women, stabbing pregnant women, dismembering children, crucifying priests, and disembowelling or beheading their victims. The attacks were not random, but carefully planned, and instigated when least expected, at around 3:00 am, when no person could escape in time. Initially, Polish residents had a false sense of security because the members of the UPA promised that they would not be harmed. In the aftermath of the massacres, personal Polish property was looted, and entire villages were razed to the ground, disappearing forever. These actions continued until the Polish people were either murdered or deported.

Bullet marks visible on  Podkamień Abbey stormed by UPA on March 12, 1944
Eastern Lesser Poland,-now Ukraine

After the end of WWII, the Soviet-backed Communist Polish government embarked on a policy of Operation Vistula, code-named for the forced resettlement of Ukrainian minorities to  the "Recovered Territories" (areas that had been part of Germany before WWII).  These expulsions were intended to usurp the power of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, but according to other sources were meant to be reprisals against Ukrainian villagers.

Only after the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, did many Polish and Ukrainian politicians and historians, join ranks with the West in openly condemning the policy of Operation Vistula for its  tactics of "ethnic cleansing" on the Ukrainian populace.   Despite reports of repression and violence having been committed against the Ukrainians, they were not subjected to the butchery that had been inflicted so viciously upon the Poles by the UPA.  Tragically, for decades after the war, the West chose to be oblivious to the facts, determined  to erase the very memory of the Volhynia Massacre from the pages of history. 

In 2002, President Aleksander Kwasniewski expressed regret for the policy of Operation Vistula, describing it as an abomination perpetrated by the communist authorities against Polish citizens of Ukrainian origin.  He denied that the resettlement program was an act of "revenge for the slaughter of Poles by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army" and referred to such insinuations as "fallacious and ethically inadmissible".  

Finally on July 11, 2003, President Aleksander Kwasniewski and President Leonid Kuchma met in the Volhynian village of Pavlivka to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the massacre. and unveil a momument of reconciliation.  Pavlivka is now part of the Ukraine, in the Volyn Oblast, hear Volodymyr-Volynskyi, near the Luga River.  During the interwar period, the town belonged to Poland in the Wolyn Voivodeship.

President Kwasniewski stated that it was unjust to blame "the entire Ukrainian nation for these acts of terror...." and that " the Ukrainian nation cannot be blamed for the massacre perpetrated on the Polish population.  There are no nations that are guilty.... it is always specific people who bear the responsibility for crimes."  President Kuchma shared the plea for forgiveness and reconciliation stating that, "...in this place where Polish victims rest, on behalf of all Ukranians who want peace and justice, I wish to express my deep sympathy to all the wronged Poles, all those who suffered as a result of this disaster.  We issue a strong condemnation of the violence committed against the Polish civilian population."

Monument for Polish victims of Volhynia Massacre
 by Stako-edited by Goku122

Tablet of names of Poles killed in Berezowica Mala Eastern Lesser Poland
now in Ukraine

Plaque in remembrance of victims of Volhynia Massacre-
Church of St Bridget-Gdansk

Sources:
Pavlivka
Massacre of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia

POLISH GREATNESS: RESEARCHING YOUR POLISH ROOTS - THE BEST SOURCES ON THE WEB

No other nation during WW2 had suffered as much as Poland. No other ally in the war sacrificed as much as Poland.  And no other nation demonstrated as much courage in the fight against the brutal invaders than the heroic Polish people. Polish men, women, and even children gave their lives for love of God, Country and Honour in the hope of reclaiming the freedom and independence of their beloved fatherland.  Instead Poland was abandoned by its allies and banished behind the Iron Curtain for forty-five years.

WW2 came to an end almost seventy years ago but since then ensuing generations, particularly of the Polish nation, continue to grapple with the catastrophic events that impacted their lives in countless ways.  Few among the survivors have ever been able to speak of their horrific experiences, much less write about them.  Their children, and their grandchildren have grown up knowing very little or nothing about the past, and yearn to know what happened to their beloved parents and grandparents. 

So it is with you in mind, my dear Polish visitors, that I present this blog post.  A few among you have requested my help in doing research and obtaining military service records.  On occasion I have  given of my time freely to help particular requests, but it has been very time consuming. So,   I have assembled a modest list of resources, some from the internet and some from my own files, that you might find useful in your search.  Please let me remind you that it is not possible to find all information from just one source. Doing research is much like grappling with the roots of a tree - just start with one root and it will lead you to many others.  Do not be discouraged if you do not get immediate results - it takes time and much patience.

Furthermore, I urge you to register for at least one Forum.  It will provide you with the opportunity to exchange information with other like-minded individuals, some of whom are indeed expert in the subject of WW2 Polish history. Their input might help open more doors for you.

Wishing you Good Luck in your search!                                                   

RESOURCES: SEARCHING YOUR ROOTS

Polish State Archives

http://www.archiwa.gov.pl/en/news.html

Ministry of Defense  (MOD)

APC Polish Enquiries

Building 28-B, RAF Northolt

West End Road

Ruislip, Middlesex  HA4 6NG

( Please note: The British Ministry of Defense keeps the military service records of all military personnel including those of Polish citizens who served in the British Army during WW2.  However, you will need to provide official documentation to prove kinship before they will release information to you.)

http://www.veterans-uk.info/pdfs/service_records/army_pack.pdf

The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum (Polish military service records)

20 Princes Gate

London, England

SW7 1PT

http://www.pism.co.uk

ITS International Tracing Service

Groβe Allee 5 - 9

34454 Bad Arolsen

Deutschland

http://www.its-arolsen.org

email@its-arolsen.org

Polish Catholic Mission in England and Wales

2 Devonia Road

Islington

London N1 8JJ

bozena@pbfgroup.co.uk

  

Polish Red Cross - People Search

http://www.pck.pl/pages,13.html

Warsaw Uprising Museum (Poland)

http://www.1944.pl/kontakt/

Ministry of National Defense Republic of Poland

http://www.mon.gov.pl/en/index/

National Archives Ministry of Defense (United Kingdom)

Service Records Enquiries Online

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121018102851/http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/ContactUs/ServiceRecordsEnquiries.htm

  

International Red Cross

19 avenue de la paix CH 1202 Geneva

Switzerland

http://www.icrc.org/eng/

www.cyndislist.com/poland

Best directory on the internet. A wealth of resources to explore.

Polski Internet.com People Search

http://www.polskiinternet.com/english/

Polish Roots - The Polish Geneology Source

http://www.polishroots.org

Index of Victims of Soviet Repression 1939-1956

http://www.indeks.karta.org.pl/en/index.html

The Central Military Library in Warsaw (Centralna Biblioteka Wojskowa)

http://www.cbw.pl

(They have books and reference material relating to military topics.  Unless you are in Poland, you may not be able to access their resources, but please take the opportunity to contact them for help in your research.)

  

Jozef Pilsudski Institute of America

Archival Collections

http://www.pilsudski.org/English/Collections/arch-collections.htm

  

Poland in Exile - Useful Addresses

http://www.polandinexile.com/addresses.html

The Polish Mission Geneology Resources

http://www.polishmission.com/genealogy/genealogy-resources/

Polish Geneological Society of America

http://www.pgsa.org/database.php

Polish War Veteran's Society (in your city)

Polish Library (in your city)

FORUMS

Polish Forums.com

http://www.polishforums.com/

All Things Polish

http://www.allthingspolish.net/

WW2 Talk

http://www.ww2talk.com/

Historium

http://www.historum.com/