Destruction of Kalisz
Encyclopedia
The destruction and sacking of the city of Kalisz
occurred in August 1914. It was perpetrated by the German Empire
troops. From August 2 until August 22, 1914 at the beginning of World War I
, one of the oldest towns in Poland
(then under foreign Partitions
), was shelled, bombed and burned down. The act was committed on a defenceless, open town with a rich historical tradition and monuments of mediaeval architecture
; which the Russian army had left without fighting. The event is also known as Pogrom of Kalisz or Poland’s Louvain
(see Schrecklichkeit
atrocities).
Kalisz was founded in the 13th century on an ancient site encircled by Prosna
river. It has a typical mediaeval urban structure. On February 13, 1793, Kalisz and the Kalisz region was annexed by Prussia
during the partitions of Poland; but after Napoleon's defeat on the Eastern front, it was taken over by the Imperial Russia, which subsequently controlled the city for more than 100 years – from February 14, 1813, till August 2, 1914. The Prussian army invaded Kalisz from the nearby Ostrów Wielkopolski
on August 2, 1914. Major Hermann Preusker
, the commander of the second battalion of 155 Infantry Regiment gave an order to burn down the city. As a result, 95% of Kalisz was completely destroyed. Most of the houses within the mediaeval town area were levelled to the ground. Only churches and public offices survived. A significant number of citizens were shot. After the war, Kalisz which before the war had 65,000 citizens, was left with 5,000 inhabitants following the August exodus
.
The recovery took years; however, even before the war ended, the Town's Council already decided to rebuild Kalisz in such a way as to reflect its long history. The reconstruction was based on a design which won the 1916 competition, though the German authorities opposed it. After the town was liberated from Germany in 1918 and became part of the reborn sovereign Poland
, the reconstruction was pursued in energetic and enthusiastic way.
was closed at Nowe Skalmierzyce
and train movement across the border to Germany was stopped. Russian officials started evacuating the city alongside military personnel. On August 2, 1914, at dawn, the Russian military retreated from the city without fighting, after setting fire to military warehouses near the railway station. The railway station was set afire as well as the trains and transport wagons. A civic committee was established by the citizens of the town which started administrating the city. Additionally, the Civil Guard was established to keep order in the city, while railway workers tried to put down the fire at the railway station.
. In later hours, German soldiers started to arrive on bicycles. Many of them were Poles from the nearby town of Ostrzeszów
, and there was no hostility between them and the local Polish population. The German soldiers of Polish extraction (about 30 in number) quickly separated from the rest of the Germans and went to the market where they engaged in conversation with local population and drank beer together. German soldiers remained separated and struggled to engage in conversations which were carried out in Polish.
On the dawn of 3 August, mortars were brought into the city. At the same time, major Preusker started arguing with the city council, despite the fact that it had fulfilled his every request. Some believed he was disappointed with the lack of resistance and indifferent attitude to German soldiers from the Polish population, which started to establish personal connections with the ethnic Polish soldiers from the German-controlled part of the partitioned country. Some of those soldiers did not show any support for the war and even condemned the conflict.
On 4 August, Preusker declared repressions towards the city inhabitants, arrest of 6 civilians as hostages, 50,000 rubles of contribution, the police-hour
, ban on publishing newspapers, and threat of taking further hostages and executions. Despite this and following of the orders by population, the Germans continued with further repressions and executions. Civilians were brutally beaten, often with rifle butts, at any sign of resistance people were shoved against the wall and shot. Many executions happened near the hospital where wounded people were held up. Several corpses were left on the streets. Many pedestrians were mistreated and any signs of opposition executed with such brutally and under such conditions that there were cases where soldiers refused to follow the orders of their officers. Up to 20 people were murdered in this way.
After taking hostages with them, the Germans started to retreat from the city in late afternoon. An hour after their retreat, artillery fire was laid down on the city from nearby hills. It was very efficient as Kalisz is located in deep valley. Additionally, the Germans had ordered the day before that all citizens should illuminate their homes which helped in directing the fire. This continued for several days, with Germans staging short raids into the city. As the shelling started fires, a general panic broke out, and even as Germans threatened to kill anybody escaping, people tried to escape by whatever means they had. Large crowds of panicked people, children, elderly with any possessions they could grab were running from the city, which became almost deserted. Just on 5 August, 10,000 people fled the shelled town. The Germans took additional hostages, mistreating them and even killing some. Only after the intervention of the Catholic Church were some released and others sent to POW camps in Cottbus
.
arrived, while major Preusker's soldiers were withdrawn. Soon another incident happened, on 7 August on Main Market Square, a lone horse started to run free, and German soldiers as a result started shooting in disorganised way, which led to death of some soldiers. Artillery was positioned within the city and Germans started to fire at civilian buildings for over an hour. Circa 100 civilians died in this incident. Afterwards, the German soldiers searched for survivors and when they found wounded civilians, they stabbed them to death with bayonets.
During the afternoon, the City Hall was set on fire, and officials executed. Afterwards Germans retreated and new shooting was started which continued during the whole night between 7 and 8 August. On Saturday morning, Germans returned to the city, taking 800 men prisoner and executing 80 of them on a nearby hill. The following day Germans started to systematically burn down the city and destroy it. They were cases when civilians who tried to stop the fire were murdered by Germans.
Shootings, murderer, plunder of shops and homes as well as burning down of the whole city lasted until 22 August, when the last home was burned on Nowoogrodowska street.
The Polish press in all territories of Partitions reported heavily on the event, some calling it "monstrous madness, that is unbelievable". The damages in Kalisz constituted 29,5% of the losses in the entire Congress Poland
during World War I. The destruction has been compared to the massacre of Louvain
, where a city was destroyed in similar manner by the Germans. Before the war Kalisz had 65,000 citizens; after the war, only 5,000.
Kalisz
Kalisz is a city in central Poland with 106,857 inhabitants , the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, the city forms a conurbation with the nearby towns of Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce...
occurred in August 1914. It was perpetrated by the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
troops. From August 2 until August 22, 1914 at the beginning of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, one of the oldest towns in 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...
(then under foreign Partitions
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
), was shelled, bombed and burned down. The act was committed on a defenceless, open town with a rich historical tradition and monuments of mediaeval architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
; which the Russian army had left without fighting. The event is also known as Pogrom of Kalisz or Poland’s Louvain
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
(see Schrecklichkeit
Schrecklichkeit
Schrecklichkeit is a word used by English speakers to describe an assumed military policy of the German Army towards civilians in World War I during the invasion of Belgium, France and Poland as well as in Russia....
atrocities).
Kalisz was founded in the 13th century on an ancient site encircled by Prosna
Prosna
The Prosna is a river in central Poland, a tributary of the Warta river , with a length of 217 kilometres and the basin area of 4,925 km2 .-Towns:*Gorzów Śląski*Praszka*Wieruszów*Grabów nad Prosną*Kalisz...
river. It has a typical mediaeval urban structure. On February 13, 1793, Kalisz and the Kalisz region was annexed by Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
during the partitions of Poland; but after Napoleon's defeat on the Eastern front, it was taken over by the Imperial Russia, which subsequently controlled the city for more than 100 years – from February 14, 1813, till August 2, 1914. The Prussian army invaded Kalisz from the nearby 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...
on August 2, 1914. Major Hermann Preusker
Hermann Preusker
Hans Rudolf Hermann Preusker was a Major, the commander of the second battalion of 155 infantry regiment in the Imperial German army. He is notable for the destruction he brought to the Polish city of Kalisz during the Great War. He is known in Poland for his savage acts during this time...
, the commander of the second battalion of 155 Infantry Regiment gave an order to burn down the city. As a result, 95% of Kalisz was completely destroyed. Most of the houses within the mediaeval town area were levelled to the ground. Only churches and public offices survived. A significant number of citizens were shot. After the war, Kalisz which before the war had 65,000 citizens, was left with 5,000 inhabitants following the August exodus
Forced migration
Forced migration refers to the coerced movement of a person or persons away from their home or home region...
.
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...
, the reconstruction was pursued in energetic and enthusiastic way.
Outbreak of World War I
The first information of the war reached Kalisz when the nearby border with the German EmpireGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
was closed at Nowe Skalmierzyce
Nowe Skalmierzyce
Nowe Skalmierzyce is a town and its surrounding municipality in Ostrów Wielkopolski County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. The town has a population of 5,093 , while the municipality, Gmina Nowe Skalmierzyce, which is a mixed urban-rural gmina that includes the town, has a...
and train movement across the border to Germany was stopped. Russian officials started evacuating the city alongside military personnel. On August 2, 1914, at dawn, the Russian military retreated from the city without fighting, after setting fire to military warehouses near the railway station. The railway station was set afire as well as the trains and transport wagons. A civic committee was established by the citizens of the town which started administrating the city. Additionally, the Civil Guard was established to keep order in the city, while railway workers tried to put down the fire at the railway station.
First German soldiers appear
Around 14:00, on August 2, first German patrols appeared along the railway tracks. As the patrols increased, the public crowds gathered. Altogether the atmosphere was neutral, although some unfavourable comments could be heard among the citizens of Kalisz. When a German officer arrived, mayor Bukowiński gave him keys to the city as symbolic gesture. After ensuring that there were no Russian forces present, the German patrols retreated to SzczypiornoSzczypiorno
Szczypiorno is a municipal neighbourhood of the city of Kalisz, Poland. Formerly until 1976 a separate village at the outskirts of the city, it is best known as a seat of a World War I and Polish-Bolshevist War prisoner of war camp and the name-sake for szczypiorniak, the Polish language name for...
. In later hours, German soldiers started to arrive on bicycles. Many of them were Poles from the nearby town of Ostrzeszów
Ostrzeszów
Ostrzeszów is a town in Poland, in Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the capital of Ostrzeszów County . The population is 14,490 ....
, and there was no hostility between them and the local Polish population. The German soldiers of Polish extraction (about 30 in number) quickly separated from the rest of the Germans and went to the market where they engaged in conversation with local population and drank beer together. German soldiers remained separated and struggled to engage in conversations which were carried out in Polish.
Arrival of the main German forces
Only on the night of 2 and 3 of August around midnight did the main German forces come from Fifth Company of 155 regiment of infantry in Ostrów. The commander, Captain Keild, immediately demanded lodgings for his troops and summoned the mayor of the city. On the same night, forces of major Hermann Preusker came to the town from 2nd Battalion of infantry. Preusker immediately took the power in the city and named himself the commandant. At the selection of quarters, the commandant Preusker showed great displeasure and demanded building of Musical Society and Christian Craftsmen in the city instead of Russian military barracks.On the dawn of 3 August, mortars were brought into the city. At the same time, major Preusker started arguing with the city council, despite the fact that it had fulfilled his every request. Some believed he was disappointed with the lack of resistance and indifferent attitude to German soldiers from the Polish population, which started to establish personal connections with the ethnic Polish soldiers from the German-controlled part of the partitioned country. Some of those soldiers did not show any support for the war and even condemned the conflict.
Executions and repressions
In late evening, a single shot was heard, which started confusion and panic among the city population, after it was followed by a series of machine gun fire. After this short event, peace returned to the city. During the night shots intensified. Due to the night cover, German soldiers started to shoot at each other, probably thinking that they were surrounded by Russian forces. Despite the fact that civilians stayed at homes, 21 civilians and 6 soldiers were dead and 32 soldiers were wounded. Major Preusker claimed that it was the local population that performed the shooting.On 4 August, Preusker declared repressions towards the city inhabitants, arrest of 6 civilians as hostages, 50,000 rubles of contribution, the police-hour
Curfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
, ban on publishing newspapers, and threat of taking further hostages and executions. Despite this and following of the orders by population, the Germans continued with further repressions and executions. Civilians were brutally beaten, often with rifle butts, at any sign of resistance people were shoved against the wall and shot. Many executions happened near the hospital where wounded people were held up. Several corpses were left on the streets. Many pedestrians were mistreated and any signs of opposition executed with such brutally and under such conditions that there were cases where soldiers refused to follow the orders of their officers. Up to 20 people were murdered in this way.
Shelling and raids into the city
Cottbus
Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
.
Massacre of civilian population
As the situation seemed to calm down, new forces from SaxonySaxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
arrived, while major Preusker's soldiers were withdrawn. Soon another incident happened, on 7 August on Main Market Square, a lone horse started to run free, and German soldiers as a result started shooting in disorganised way, which led to death of some soldiers. Artillery was positioned within the city and Germans started to fire at civilian buildings for over an hour. Circa 100 civilians died in this incident. Afterwards, the German soldiers searched for survivors and when they found wounded civilians, they stabbed them to death with bayonets.
During the afternoon, the City Hall was set on fire, and officials executed. Afterwards Germans retreated and new shooting was started which continued during the whole night between 7 and 8 August. On Saturday morning, Germans returned to the city, taking 800 men prisoner and executing 80 of them on a nearby hill. The following day Germans started to systematically burn down the city and destroy it. They were cases when civilians who tried to stop the fire were murdered by Germans.
Shootings, murderer, plunder of shops and homes as well as burning down of the whole city lasted until 22 August, when the last home was burned on Nowoogrodowska street.
The Polish press in all territories of Partitions reported heavily on the event, some calling it "monstrous madness, that is unbelievable". The damages in Kalisz constituted 29,5% of the losses in the entire Congress Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
during World War I. The destruction has been compared to the massacre of Louvain
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, where a city was destroyed in similar manner by the Germans. Before the war Kalisz had 65,000 citizens; after the war, only 5,000.
See also
- Expulsion of Poles by GermanyExpulsion of Poles by GermanyThe Expulsion of Poles by Germany was a prolonged anti-Polish campaign of ethnic cleansing by violent and terror-inspiring means lasting nearly a century. It began with the concept of Pan-Germanism developed in early 19th century and continued in the racial policy of Nazi Germany asserting the...
- Planned destruction of WarsawPlanned destruction of WarsawThe planned destruction of Warsaw refers to the largely realised plans by Nazi Germany to completely raze the city. The plan was put into full motion after the Warsaw Uprising in 1944...
- Rape of BelgiumRape of BelgiumThe Rape of Belgium is a wartime propaganda term describing the 1914 German invasion of Belgium. The term initially had a figurative meaning, referring to the violation of Belgian neutrality, but embellished reports of German atrocities soon gave it a literal significance...
- SchrecklichkeitSchrecklichkeitSchrecklichkeit is a word used by English speakers to describe an assumed military policy of the German Army towards civilians in World War I during the invasion of Belgium, France and Poland as well as in Russia....
- MitteleuropaMitteleuropaMitteleuropa is the German term equal to Central Europe. The word has political, geographic and cultural meaning. While it describes a geographical location, it also is the word denoting a political concept of a German-dominated and exploited Central European union that was put into motion during...
Sources and recommended reading
- L.J. Flockerzie: "Poland's Louvain. Documents on the Destruction of Kalisz, August 1914". The Polish Review Nr 4/1983
- A series of photos documenting the scale of destruction of Kalisz and following reconstruction
- Na zgliszczach Kalisza: ku wiecznej pamiątce pogromu teutońskiego, dokonanego przez Prusaków w sierpniu 1914 r Bronisław Tomczyk Press, 1915