Aid of Poles for the Jewish people during the Nazi occupation. Collection of files Pomoc Polaków dla ludności żydowskiej w okresie okupacji hitlerowskiej-zbiór akt (Sygn. 1521)

Identifier
irn551215
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2016.335.1
  • RG-15.499
Dates
1 Jan 1968 - 31 Dec 1969
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • Polish
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

3,777 digital images, PDF

Creator(s)

Biographical History

The Society of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy (Polish: Związek Bojowników o Wolność i Demokrację, ZBoWiD) was an official Polish state-controlled veterans association in the People's Republic of Poland. Initially headed by Franciszek Jóźwiak, it was formed on September 2, 1949 out of 11 pre-existing veterans associations. In its early period, and especially during the Stalinist years, the organization was formed mostly of former veterans of the Soviet-sponsored Polish People's Army, communist partisans and former concentration camp inmates. However, with the advent of a partial political thaw in the 1960s it also started accepting the veterans of other Polish formations that had fought in World War II. Directly subordinate to the party, the society held an important place within the Polish governmental structure: it was the only authority certifying veterans' and combatants' rights and privileges in Poland. In 1970 the ZBoWiD had roughly 330,000 members, in 1986 almost 800,000. Among its leaders were Mieczysław Moczar and Włodzimierz Sokorski. In April 1990, ZBoWiD was reorganized into the Związek Kombatantów RP i Byłych Więźniów Politycznych (Society of Veterans of the Republic of Poland and Former Political Prisoners) for members of all Polish military formations including partisan, self-defense units, and the Polish Underground State. (Wikipedia)

Archival History

Archiwum Akt Nowych

Acquisition

Forms part of the Claims Conference International Holocaust Documentation Archive at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This archive consists of documentation whose reproduction and/or acquisition was made possible with funding from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Source of acquisition is the Archiwum Akt Nowych w Warszawie, Poland, Sygn. 1521. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives received the filmed collection via the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum International Archival Programs Division in Nov. 2016.

Scope and Content

Questionnaires related to aid of Poles for the Jewish people during the Nazi occupation. Questionnaires were prepared and collected by Związek Bojowników o Wolność i Demokrację (ZBoWiD) throughout Poland during the late 1960s.

System of Arrangement

Arranged in one series: 1. Questionnaires, 1968-1969. Each questionnaire includes the following questions: 1. Name of the person who offered assistance. 2. Persons whereabouts during the war. 3. How was the help rendered? Hiding, permanent or temporary, providing food, fuel, clothes, false documents, help in finding employment as an “Aryan”, medical assistance etc.? 4. Did they help Jews by contacting underground organization or partisans? 5. Are the Jewish survivors still alive? Do they live in Poland or abroad? Where? 6. Did the Jewish survivors keep in touch with their helpers and in which form? 7. Is the helper still alive? What is the address? 8. Is the helper a member of ZBoWiD? 9. Names of those who were murdered by the Nazi for offering assistance to the Jews. 10. What were their addresses during the war? 11. What other punishments were used by the Germans against helpers? 12. Names of the Jews who perished along with their helpers? 13. Who else knew about the assistance: members of the family, neighbors, others? Their addresses? 14. Names of the people who could confirm the information?

Conditions Governing Reproduction

Copyright Holder: Naczelna Dyrekcja Archiwów Państwowych

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.