Stanislaw Karolkiewicz
Encyclopedia
Stanisław Karolkiewicz (nom de guerre Szczęsny) (1918–2009) was born in 1918 in the Polish
historical region of Podlasie. Raised in a patriotic family, he joined the Polish Army in the 1930s, and then fought in the Polish September Campaign, in the area of Upper Silesia
. On September 17, 1939, when the Red Army
, allied with the Wehrmacht
, attacked eastern Poland, Karolkiewicz was around Nisko
.
Caught by the Germans, he escaped and returned to his homeland in the Białystok countryside, which had been incorporated to the Soviet Union
. He immediately began organizing anti-Soviet resistance movement, taking advantage of the landscape of the province, full of forests and swamps. His unit stayed around Augustów
, between the Biebrza
river and the Augustów Canal
.
In February 1940, the NKVD
launched an offensive against the Poles, and Karolkiewicz was caught. The Soviets put him in prisons in Białystok and later in Brześć nad Bugiem. He was charged of counterrevolutionary activities, but, unlike other prisoners (see: Katyń massacre
), he was not shot. Kept in the prison in Brzesc, he was released in June of 1941, when the Wehrmacht seized the city (see: Operation Barbarossa
).
Under German occupation, Karolkiewicz did not change his stance and became commandant of the Directorate of Sabotage and Diversion of the Białystok area. Then, he joined underground forces in Szczuczyn
and was the commandant of the 1943 Polish underground raid on East Prussia, which took place on August 15, 1943. After the raid, Karolkiewicz and his men got to the Naliboki Forest, to join units of Wilno’s Home Army district and to take part in the Operation Tempest
(summer 1944).
Karolkiewicz, who was a commandant of a Home Army company, participated in street fighting in the suburbs of Wilno. Shelled by the German artillery and attacked by the Luftwaffe
aircraft, the company had to withdraw to a nearby forest. Soon afterwards, the NKVD units appeared and began to disarm the Poles. Karolkiewicz managed to escape the Soviets and headed towards Warsaw
. He was caught by the NKVD in Warsaw’s eastern quarter of Praga
, and incarcerated in the infamous Lublin Castle
prison, in which mortality among the political prisoners reached 20 persons per week.
The interrogation was at first carried out by the NKVD officers, then it was handed over to the Służba Bezpieczeństwa. Karolkiewicz, who was not considered a major threat to the Communist authorities, was released in mid-1945 and immediately became a member of anticommunist resistance organization Armed Forces Delegation for Poland. Arrested in February 1946, he was sentenced to 13 years and incarcerated in the Wronki prison
. Together with him, the Communists arrested his wife, who gave birth to a daughter in a call at Mokotów Prison
. Karolkiewicz stayed in prison until October 1955.
In 1947 and 1948, Karolkiewicz was in the same cell with Władysław Bartoszewski. Bartoszewski later said in an interview: “I heard that he had had a very rough investigation, even for Communist reality. He was a legendary person, I heard opinions of him as a skillful commandant, about his legendary exploits during the war”.
In the 1990s, Karolkiewicz was elected President of World Society of Home Army Soldiers. On May 3, 2006, he was promoted to Brigade General, by President Lech Kaczyński
. Stanislaw Karolkiewicz died 22.01.2009.
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...
historical region of Podlasie. Raised in a patriotic family, he joined the Polish Army in the 1930s, and then fought in the Polish September Campaign, in the area of Upper Silesia
Upper 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...
. On September 17, 1939, when the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, allied with the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, attacked eastern Poland, Karolkiewicz was around Nisko
Nisko
Nisko is a town in Nisko County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland on the San River, with a population of 15,534 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009...
.
Caught by the Germans, he escaped and returned to his homeland in the Białystok countryside, which had been incorporated to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He immediately began organizing anti-Soviet resistance movement, taking advantage of the landscape of the province, full of forests and swamps. His unit stayed around Augustów
Augustów
Augustów is a town in north-eastern Poland with 29,600 inhabitants . It lies on the Netta River and the Augustów Canal. It is situated in the Podlaskie Voivodeship , having previously been in Suwałki Voivodeship . It is the seat of Augustów County and of Gmina Augustów.In 1970 Augustów became...
, between the Biebrza
Biebrza
Biebrza is a river in north-eastern Poland, a tributary of the Narew river , with a length of 155 kilometres and the basin area of 7,057 km2...
river and the Augustów Canal
Augustów Canal
The Augustów Canal is a cross-border canal built in the 19th century in the present-day Podlaskie Voivodeship of northeastern Poland and the Hrodna Voblast of north-western Belarus...
.
In February 1940, the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
launched an offensive against the Poles, and Karolkiewicz was caught. The Soviets put him in prisons in Białystok and later in Brześć nad Bugiem. He was charged of counterrevolutionary activities, but, unlike other prisoners (see: Katyń massacre
Katyn massacre
The Katyn massacre, also known as the Katyn Forest massacre , was a mass execution of Polish nationals carried out by the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs , the Soviet secret police, in April and May 1940. The massacre was prompted by Lavrentiy Beria's proposal to execute all members of...
), he was not shot. Kept in the prison in Brzesc, he was released in June of 1941, when the Wehrmacht seized the city (see: Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
).
Under German occupation, Karolkiewicz did not change his stance and became commandant of the Directorate of Sabotage and Diversion of the Białystok area. Then, he joined underground forces in Szczuczyn
Szczuczyn
Szczuczyn is a town in Podlaskie Voivodeship in north-eastern Poland.Szczuczyn may also refer to:* Szczuczyn, Greater Poland Voivodeship * Szczuczyn Litewski, Polish name for Shchuchyn in modern Belarus...
and was the commandant of the 1943 Polish underground raid on East Prussia, which took place on August 15, 1943. After the raid, Karolkiewicz and his men got to the Naliboki Forest, to join units of Wilno’s Home Army district and to take part in the Operation Tempest
Operation Tempest
Operation Tempest was a series of uprisings conducted during World War II by the Polish Home Army , the dominant force in the Polish resistance....
(summer 1944).
Karolkiewicz, who was a commandant of a Home Army company, participated in street fighting in the suburbs of Wilno. Shelled by the German artillery and attacked by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
aircraft, the company had to withdraw to a nearby forest. Soon afterwards, the NKVD units appeared and began to disarm the Poles. Karolkiewicz managed to escape the Soviets and headed towards Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. He was caught by the NKVD in Warsaw’s eastern quarter of Praga
Praga
Praga is a historical borough of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. It is located on the east bank of the river Vistula. First mentioned in 1432, until 1791 it formed a separate town with its own city charter.- History :...
, and incarcerated in the infamous Lublin Castle
Lublin Castle
The Lublin Castle is a medieval castle situated in Lublin, Poland, adjacent to the Old Town district and close to the city center. It is one of the oldest preseved Royal residencies in Poland, established by king Casimir II the Just.-History:...
prison, in which mortality among the political prisoners reached 20 persons per week.
The interrogation was at first carried out by the NKVD officers, then it was handed over to the Służba Bezpieczeństwa. Karolkiewicz, who was not considered a major threat to the Communist authorities, was released in mid-1945 and immediately became a member of anticommunist resistance organization Armed Forces Delegation for Poland. Arrested in February 1946, he was sentenced to 13 years and incarcerated in the Wronki prison
Wronki Prison
Wronki Prison is the largest prison in Poland, holding over 1400 prisoners. It was founded in 1889 in the town of Wronki in Greater Poland .-History:...
. Together with him, the Communists arrested his wife, who gave birth to a daughter in a call at Mokotów Prison
Mokotów Prison
Mokotów Prison is a prison in Warsaw's borough of Mokotów, Poland, located at Rakowiecka 37 street. It was built by the Russians in the final years of the foreign Partitions of Poland...
. Karolkiewicz stayed in prison until October 1955.
In 1947 and 1948, Karolkiewicz was in the same cell with Władysław Bartoszewski. Bartoszewski later said in an interview: “I heard that he had had a very rough investigation, even for Communist reality. He was a legendary person, I heard opinions of him as a skillful commandant, about his legendary exploits during the war”.
In the 1990s, Karolkiewicz was elected President of World Society of Home Army Soldiers. On May 3, 2006, he was promoted to Brigade General, by President Lech Kaczyński
Lech Kaczynski
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
. Stanislaw Karolkiewicz died 22.01.2009.