Olimp (organization)
Encyclopedia
Olimp was a Polish
anti-Nazi resistance organization
active in Wrocław (Breslau) during World War II
.
. It later included Poles from Greater Poland
(Wielkopolska) who were present in the city as forced laborers, as well as those who had escaped from nearby German camps. Some of the members had previously taken part in the September campaign, fighting against the Germans.
The organization was established for the purpose of gathering intelligence and information, carrying out sabotage actions and organizing aid for Polish slave workers. It was connected to the Katowice
Inspectorate of the ZWZ (Polish: Związek Walki Zbrojnej, Union of Armed Struggle), a precursor organization to the Polish Home Army. In fact in some German sources of the time, Olimp itself is referred to as ZWZ.
About twenty members of the organizations were later sent to the Gross-Rosen concentration camp
, forty to Auschwitz and ten to Mauthausen
.
The main meeting place for the conspirators was at an apartment located on Jahnstrasse 19, at the cross road of the present day Zelwerowicz and Sokolnicza streets. Some of the members of the organization included Stanisław Grzesiewski, Rafał Twardzik, Wyderkowscy brothers Jan and Roman, Alojzy Marszałek, Edward Damczyk and Felicyta Podlakówna-Damczyk. The coming and going of so many people at the apartment was masked by the fact that it was located above a popular restaurant. The name of the organization in fact came from the locale - the apartment was located on the fifth floor of the building, and according to memoirs of Felicyta Damczyk, early on someone had commented that "it's far to this place like to Mount Olympus
!". "Olimp" being Polish for Olympus, the name stuck.
The organization also helped to hide Poles who had escaped from transports to concentration camps, such as Gross Rossen. Ever more repressive measures against Poles by the German authorities led the organization to expand its operations. In addition to helping victims of persecution, Olimp began gathering information on German troop movements, rail and water transports and investigated the placement of German munitions and supply depots. Members also gathered documents on the production factories of Linke-Hoffmann and Famo-Werke and took photographs of objects of strategic importance. Much of the information was gathered by slave workers
in various German factories, who passed it on to Olimp's activists. The reports were compiled and passed on to the Polish underground in Łódź and Kraków
, from where they were sent through Vienna
and Switzerland
to England
.
In 1942 the Breslau Gestapo
in coordination with the Katowice unit, obtained information about the organization and its operations. A trap was organized and as a result 400 members were arrested. Men were transported to the prison at Łąkowa street, while women were taken to the one on Świebodzka. Both groups were then tortured by the Gestapo - some of the members went insane as a result. After half a year of torture and interrogations, 20 Olimp members were sent to the Gross Rosen camp with death sentences, 40 were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau and 10 to Mauthausen. Even those who did not have an explicit death sentence were selected out for specially severe treatment and almost all died shortly after their arrival in the camps, usually within a month. One Olimpian, Stanisław Ruciński, survived until May 1944 because the Gestapo believed him to be in possession of information about other underground units, and as such he was left alive until the conclusion of the investigation.
Out of the whole group only few survived. Maria Wyderowska lived through Auschwitz, while her brother in law, Jan, managed to escape and joined the anti-Nazi partisans in the Lublin
region. Felicyta Podlak and Edward Damczyk also lived through the war and afterwards married in a Wrocław church. Thanks to efforts of Felicja, a monument to the group was established in Wrocław honouring the group.
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
anti-Nazi resistance organization
Polish resistance movement in World War II
The Polish resistance movement in World War II, with the Home Army at its forefront, was the largest underground resistance in all of Nazi-occupied Europe, covering both German and Soviet zones of occupation. The Polish defence against the Nazi occupation was an important part of the European...
active in Wrocław (Breslau) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History
It was formed in 1941 by members of the Polish minority in Germany located in Breslau and Poles from Upper SilesiaUpper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
. It later included Poles from Greater Poland
Greater Poland
Greater Poland or Great Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief city is Poznań.The boundaries of Greater Poland have varied somewhat throughout history...
(Wielkopolska) who were present in the city as forced laborers, as well as those who had escaped from nearby German camps. Some of the members had previously taken part in the September campaign, fighting against the Germans.
The organization was established for the purpose of gathering intelligence and information, carrying out sabotage actions and organizing aid for Polish slave workers. It was connected to the Katowice
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
Inspectorate of the ZWZ (Polish: Związek Walki Zbrojnej, Union of Armed Struggle), a precursor organization to the Polish Home Army. In fact in some German sources of the time, Olimp itself is referred to as ZWZ.
About twenty members of the organizations were later sent to the Gross-Rosen concentration camp
Gross-Rosen concentration camp
KL Gross-Rosen was a German concentration camp, located in Gross-Rosen, Lower Silesia . It was located directly on the rail line between Jauer and Striegau .-The camp:...
, forty to Auschwitz and ten to Mauthausen
Mauthausen
Mauthausen is a small market town in Upper Austria, Austria. It is located at about 20 kilometers east of the city of Linz, and has a population of 4,850 .During World War II, it became the site of the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp complex....
.
The main meeting place for the conspirators was at an apartment located on Jahnstrasse 19, at the cross road of the present day Zelwerowicz and Sokolnicza streets. Some of the members of the organization included Stanisław Grzesiewski, Rafał Twardzik, Wyderkowscy brothers Jan and Roman, Alojzy Marszałek, Edward Damczyk and Felicyta Podlakówna-Damczyk. The coming and going of so many people at the apartment was masked by the fact that it was located above a popular restaurant. The name of the organization in fact came from the locale - the apartment was located on the fifth floor of the building, and according to memoirs of Felicyta Damczyk, early on someone had commented that "it's far to this place like to Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
!". "Olimp" being Polish for Olympus, the name stuck.
The organization also helped to hide Poles who had escaped from transports to concentration camps, such as Gross Rossen. Ever more repressive measures against Poles by the German authorities led the organization to expand its operations. In addition to helping victims of persecution, Olimp began gathering information on German troop movements, rail and water transports and investigated the placement of German munitions and supply depots. Members also gathered documents on the production factories of Linke-Hoffmann and Famo-Werke and took photographs of objects of strategic importance. Much of the information was gathered by slave workers
Forced labor in Germany during World War II
The use of forced labour in Nazi Germany and throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II took place on an unprecedented scale. It was a vital part of the German economic exploitation of conquered territories. It also contributed to the mass extermination of populations in German-occupied...
in various German factories, who passed it on to Olimp's activists. The reports were compiled and passed on to the Polish underground in Łódź and Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, from where they were sent through Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
In 1942 the Breslau Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
in coordination with the Katowice unit, obtained information about the organization and its operations. A trap was organized and as a result 400 members were arrested. Men were transported to the prison at Łąkowa street, while women were taken to the one on Świebodzka. Both groups were then tortured by the Gestapo - some of the members went insane as a result. After half a year of torture and interrogations, 20 Olimp members were sent to the Gross Rosen camp with death sentences, 40 were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau and 10 to Mauthausen. Even those who did not have an explicit death sentence were selected out for specially severe treatment and almost all died shortly after their arrival in the camps, usually within a month. One Olimpian, Stanisław Ruciński, survived until May 1944 because the Gestapo believed him to be in possession of information about other underground units, and as such he was left alive until the conclusion of the investigation.
Out of the whole group only few survived. Maria Wyderowska lived through Auschwitz, while her brother in law, Jan, managed to escape and joined the anti-Nazi partisans in the Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
region. Felicyta Podlak and Edward Damczyk also lived through the war and afterwards married in a Wrocław church. Thanks to efforts of Felicja, a monument to the group was established in Wrocław honouring the group.