The Czartoryski Archive

Mitre and Anchor -- Noble Families in the Resistance

MITRE AND ANCHOR

Nr. 24 (133) Year VI History and Life, May 20-21, 1992

Jerzy Wiśniewski-Sochacki

In the Polish heraldry, the families of Radziwiłł and Czartoryski occupy a prominent place. Their fortunes varied and they underwent various political mutations; one thing, however, is worth emphasizing---their great merit in multiplying and gathering the cultural treasures of the nation, documents of the past and the glory of Polish arms. Preeminence we must probably give to the Czartoryski, if we but mention Puławy and the magnificent Czartoryski Museum in Kraków. That, however, is not the subject of our considerations, but rather the stance of the Radziwiłł and Czartoryski families in a period that can be called an examination of character and patriotism in time of war and occupation. How did these people under the sign of the princely mitre find themselves in actions under the sign of the anchor of Fighting Poland?

I met Prince Janusz Radziwiłł and his son Edmund at Nieborów in 1941. Nieborów was part of my territory, which also included Bolimów and Kompina.

Prince Edmund was under my command. I remember clearly when Edmund introduced me to his father. I do not know what made a greater impression on me that day---the great force of Prince Janusz's personality or the extraordinary, full of noble expression face of a man, a senator of the Republic, who had once maintained broad connections with the great ones of this world. I stood as I had been taught at officers' school, at a distance of three meters. "Please come closer," said the prince, extending his hand in a friendly gesture. I was to participate in a family dinner.

That is how it began. Prince Edmund received assignments of a strictly secret nature from the district commander "Łyska," Lucjan Zieliński. This was understandable given the popularity of this figure in the Nieborów region and throughout the District. I was also given the obligation of exempting the prince from routine exercises in the field.

The changing fortunes of fate caused us to meet again after the war, shortly after his Moscow "re-education."

Prince Janusz, surprisingly, was written about with moderate goodwill by "Trybuna Ludu." I was in hiding at the time, in the lion's den, in Warsaw. The UB was looking for me, having been zealous in Poznań and in the Tri-City. Meanwhile I played cards with Edmund, with apparent calm, at bridge at Fr. Stefan Niedzielak's, our conspiratorial colleague from Łowicz, with whom I was living. Bridge, of course, did not fill the content of our meetings. It was a kind of therapy during free moments from persistent searching for a model of the political future of free Poland.

It is fitting to now pay tribute to our colleague, Edmund's wife, Princess Ballali, a wise and beautiful woman of Italian beauty, sincerely devoted to the AK \[Home Army\] cause. Nor is it possible to pass over in silence the heroic stance of other manor houses, particularly Mrs. Koczorowska and Janina Grabińska from Osieka.

Now Podhale---so let us parody the stirring motto "Now Poland."

The seats of the gentry settled on Podhale formed an ideally suited surface for conspiratorial activity, often located in places difficult to access, far from traveled routes. Let us mention Jodłownik of Countess Romerowa and the manor of Mrs. Turska near Tymborka. There roads of couriers and female liaisons intertwined, led by Jadzia Czartoryska, codename "Grzmot" \[Thunder\], later commandant of the Female Military Service for the "Niwa" inspectorate. Her uncle, Adam Czartoryski, was residing at that time in Szczawnica.

Szczawnica lies in a remote secluded corner, but in the setting of wonderful views and magnificent forests. The roads to this resort during the occupation were terrible; from Nowy Targ, located 41 km from Szczawnica, communication was bearable, further in the direction of Zabrzeż, Kamienica and Szczawa, "roads" were already a natural obstacle in attempts at flanking maneuvers against the seats of partisans of the Home Army. How things really were with "Operation Burza" and who stirred Szczawnica to armed uprising. Let us bring this figure closer to our readers. We must again reach into the Polish heraldry.

Prince Adam Czartoryski completed with 11th rating the Reserve Artillery Officers' School in Włodzimierz Wołyński and received assignment to the 10th Cavalry Artillery Squadron in Jarosław. He is promoted to second lieutenant on January 1, 1931. In 1936 he completes a battery commander course at the Artillery Officers' Academy in Podgórze near Toruń. At the end of August he receives mobilization papers with transfer to the 17th Light Artillery Regiment in Gniezna. On September 1, 1939, he is appointed commander of the 4th battery of the 17th Light Artillery Regiment.

In the Battle of Kutno, Prince Adam Czartoryski's battery destroys several dozen German tanks, working in cooperation with the battery of Captain Ludwik Głowacki. Thus the rout of the aggressor's tanks is the achievement of two, not one battery commander, as September historians fail to mention.

After the defeat, the prince escapes from German captivity in civilian clothes; initially settles in the Nowy Sącz district, and then moves with his family to Szczawnica, where he takes the position of director of the Health Resort and also head supervisor of the surrounding forests. The new director uses all his official and social connections to weaken the pace of destructive logging of trees and can boast of considerable success in this regard.

In spring 1942 he is sworn in as a soldier of the Home Army, and shortly thereafter is appointed as successor to Bartosz Szumowski as Commander of the "Szczawnica" Outpost encompassing the watershed of the Grajcarek stream with the villages of Szczawnica Wyżna, Szczawnica Niżna, Szlachtowa, Jaworki, Czarna Woda, Biała Woda with the area of the Small Pieniny Mountains.

The Outpost terrain was based along its entire length on borders with Slovakia. The Health Resort, furthermore supervised also by Adam Czartoryski, encompassed the southern slopes of the Radziejowa range, to its main ridge. Roughly at the same time Prince Adam becomes head of the RGO \[People's Welfare Association\] in Szczawnica.

This locality was subjected to relentless pressure from the occupier, forcing the highlanders to register on the "Goralenvolku" list. Fear, or simple lack of awareness, pushed part of the highland population down this shameful path, but fearful hearts remained Polish. Only a few are initiated into the conspiratorial mission of Second Lieutenant A. Czartoryski, codename "Szpak" \[Starling\].

In early July 1944 the district commander of Nowy Targ orders readiness. "Operation Burza" \[Tempest\] approaches Szczawnica. Two hidden platoons remain in mobilization readiness. The commander of the 1st platoon stationed in Szczawnica Wyżna is a non-commissioned officer of regular service, Jan Polaczyk, codename "Grab" \[Hornbeam\], a man of unbreakable character and excellent trainer of soldiers. The 2nd platoon in Szczawnica Niżna is commanded by platoon sergeant Władysław Czaja.

The eastern front stops in July 1944 on the line of the San. "Starling" begins to clarify the plan of "Operation Burza"; he focuses attention on several dozen "green" policemen, commanded by three German non-commissioned officers. This is indeed an uncertain element, but in the face of inevitable German defeat expressing readiness to submit to Polish orders. This was undoubtedly a tactical maneuver and an attempt at rehabilitation. "Starling" considered, however, that such a route of withdrawal was better than permanent traitorousness.

On Friday, July 28, 1944 around 8 a.m., "Starling" is overtaken on a motorcycle by "Borowy" \[Pine\], later commander of the 1st Infantry Regiment, who hands him the order to begin "Operation Burza." He must have had iron documents and an important function, allowing freedom of movement in this hornet's nest. Let us recall! There are stationed Grenzschutz, Gestapo, Luftwaffe after the rigors of bombing in the east and a school of green police. To the latter "Starling" had to appeal, trusting in the remnants of patriotism still glowing there. The Outpost had informers among the "green" policemen. The uprising mood was favored by the attempt on Hitler on July 20 at the famous "Wolfschanze" near Kętrzyn. The arrogant Germans clearly became more cautious and initially did not react at all to the feverish street movement.

In such a mood and such scenery "Starling" receives the oath from 20 policemen in Dietel square. This ceremony is watched from the pedestal by Joseph Dietel, father of Polish balneology and discoverer of Szczawnica.

Civilians come from nowhere with weapons drawn from corners; two Juhassi approach "Starling," one armed with a rifle, calling: "Commander! Lead us against the Germans!" Szczawnica is boiling!

This troubles "Starling." "Operation Burza" was supposed to be limited to strictly military operations. He sends messengers with orders for residents to return home. The streets quickly empty, only AK soldiers remain and the sworn-in policemen, who receive from "Starling" the order to eliminate three German non-commissioned officers supervising the police school.

Two fall, one manages to escape. Fortunately for Szczawnica highlanders. A porter from the Inhalatorium reports that German military nurse sisters are being harassed by the rebels. "Starling" orders the porter to close the doors, and reassures the sisters with the statement: "There are no bandits here, but Polish soldiers who respect international convention." At this time part of the rebel forces draws out hand grenades stored in the Inhalatorium cellars, produced throughout the occupation period in railway workshops in Kraków. A few months earlier "Halny"---Jan Kabłak-Ziembicki---had delivered them in a German military truck as packages of nails. German soldiers helpfully assisted in unloading Polish weapons. A paradox of partisan war.

Sudden summons to the telephone. "Starling" learns from "Cisa" (Eugeniusz Czeremszyński), commander of the outpost in Krościenko, that several trucks with uniformed SS men from Nowy Targ have passed Czorsztyn and are heading to Szczawnica. "Starling" has 20 minutes to "clean up the battle landscape"; he orders a gathering of the group of sworn-in policemen and under the command of "Iglica" (Zygmunt Mańkowski) and "Tarzan" (Pruchnicki) directs them to the District commander.

The SS men drive into Dietel square. Calm and silence. Not a soul in the streets. At that time the policemen disappear into the thickets of Bryjarki. "Starling" hides with his brother in a hedge surrounding a garden located about 100 meters from the villa "Helena," where he lived with his family. The SS men conduct a search looking for the "chief" of the bandits. Without result.

The commander of Szczawnica's "Burza" joins the 1st platoon of "Hornbeam," camped in the forest under the Languages. Attempts to establish contact with the District commander fail. Finally on the third day a courier delivers to "Starling" a note from the District commander of brief content:

"Operation Burza" cancelled.

In direct confrontation with the local garrison and after the arrival of German reinforcements from Nowy Targ, "Starling" would be condemned to the forces of weakly armed two platoons of the outpost and 20 policemen. He could not take such a risk. Numerous partisan units scattered in the Gorce and Beskid Wyspowy complex did not support "Starling." It remains a mystery why the Kraków District did not coordinate the action.

Meanwhile Gestapo arrests "Starling's" wife, seizes several dozen hostages and drives them to the square in front of the "Palenica" restaurant. Execution is now a matter of hours, but an interrogated German testifies that the Szczawnica population did not take part in the elimination of two non-commissioned officers; this is confirmed by the military doctor and hospital sisters.

These testimonies weighed on the abandonment of retaliatory action.

It is now early August. The Warsaw Uprising, the greatest military surge of "Operation Burza," did not trigger general national uprising, but partisan actions did intensify throughout the country. From the east came bad rumors, harbinger of drama.

After the departure of the SS men, "Starling" makes the decision to furlough the mobilized soldiers of the outpost. This decision, strangely, did not entail more serious consequences; Sergeant "Hornbeam" also returned to his home. The solidarity of the highlanders exceeded all expectations. Only "Starling" remains in the forest, but his neighbor Wincenty Malinowski believes that the christening of his son cannot do without the commander of the outpost. It would not be fitting to refuse. "Starling" participates in the family celebration, feasts with highlanders until late evening. He somewhat overdid it in boldness, but gained even greater acclaim among the highlanders.

A few months after the war's end, "Starling's" wife visits Szczawnica, received by the highlanders with spontaneous outbursts of joy. They propose to Mr. and Mrs. Czartoryski to move to Szczawnica and assure them free support. Already they know who will supply milk, potatoes, and who bread and other food products. All these care plans are coordinated and organized by the tireless Wincenty Malinowski. Touching naiveté of the people.

On January 25, 1945, the Soviets enter Szczawnica. Prince Adam, educated as a forest engineer, reports to Prof. Suchacki, director of the Institute of Forestry in Kraków, and is employed there as a research worker. This is a considered and thoughtful decision. Many professors remember Czartoryski as an outstanding student. Through their efforts, engineer Adam Czartoryski is transferred on May 1, 1945 to Poznań University. He is already an assistant in the Department of Plant Physiology, discretely observed. He earns his doctorate, and his dissertation is distinguished. He was, however, refused a doctoral scholarship. Just in case! An attempt at habilitation breaks against the wall of the Voivodeship Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party. These are subtle harassments, but bearable. Now "Starling" from Szczawnica could cause a storm only in a teacup of water.

Prince Adam, my colleague from the partisan period, accepted my invitation and visited me with his wife. He carries himself straight, as befits an artilleryman, and shows surprising reflexes and clarity of thought. He is eighty-seven years old.