function

religious cleric

creed

Latin (Roman Catholic) Church RCmore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2014.09.21]

congregation

Society of Jesus SImore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2014.09.21]
(i.e. Jesuits)

diocese / province

Greater Poland‐Mazovian province SI
Polish Province SI (1918‐1926)
Galicia Province SI (till 1918)

academic distinctions

Doctor of Theology

date and place
of death

11.11.1939

Grudziądztoday: Grudziądz city pov., Kuyavia‐Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.02]

alt. dates and places
of death

05.10.1939, 06.10.1939, 10.1939

details of death

alt. details of death

cause of death

mass murder

perpetrators

Germans

sites and events

Grudziądz‐FortressClick to display the description, VSH GraudenzClick to display the description, «Intelligenzaktion»Click to display the description, Collective responsibility („Hostages”)Click to display the description, Reichsgau Danzig‐WestpreußenClick to display the description, Pius XI's encyclicalsClick to display the description, Pius XI's encyclicalsClick to display the description

date and place
of birth

02.04.1895

Komańczatoday: Komańcza gm., Sanok pov., Subcarpathia voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.19]

presbyter (holy orders)
ordination

24.08.1925 (Louvaintoday: Flemish Brabant prov., Flemish reg., Belgium
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.11.07]
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.07.31])

positions held

others related
in death

BIELEŃClick to display biography Anthony, GOŁĘBIEWSKIClick to display biography Joseph, KLUNDERClick to display biography John, NAGÓRSKIClick to display biography Edmund, PASTWAClick to display biography Anthony, SOBISZClick to display biography Anthony, WOLSKIClick to display biography Vaclav, BATKOClick to display biography Alexander, BORZYSZKOWSKIClick to display biography Joseph, BROCKIClick to display biography Anthony, BUSZTAClick to display biography Anthony (Fr Simon), CZUBEKClick to display biography Joseph, FLACZYŃSKIClick to display biography Francis, GASIŃSKIClick to display biography Louis, GRABOWSKIClick to display biography Sigismund, GREGORKIEWICZClick to display biography Leo, HINZClick to display biography Thaddeus, KACZOROWSKIClick to display biography Michael, KĘDZIERSKIClick to display biography Francis, KOPAŃSKIClick to display biography Conrad, KOWNACKIClick to display biography Martin Stanislav, ŁĘGOWSKIClick to display biography Vladislav Leonard, ŁUBIEŃSKIClick to display biography John, MAKOWSKIClick to display biography Paul (Fr Bruno), MALINOWSKIClick to display biography Constantine Peter, MAŃKOWSKIClick to display biography Alphonse, MARTENKAClick to display biography John, MATEUSZCZYKClick to display biography Theodore, MIĘTKIClick to display biography Anthony, NIKLASClick to display biography Stanislav, NOWAKClick to display biography Stanislav Zeno, ODYAClick to display biography Joseph Florian, ODYAClick to display biography Lucyn Joseph, OLSZEWSKIClick to display biography Edward, OSSOWSKIClick to display biography John Anthony, OSTROWSKIClick to display biography Francis Xavier, PARTYKAClick to display biography Boleslav, PRABUCKIClick to display biography Boleslav Rock, PRYBAClick to display biography Leo Simon, PTACHClick to display biography Louis Paul, RADTKEClick to display biography Steven Boleslav, ROGALSKIClick to display biography John, SADOWSKIClick to display biography Anastasius, SOWIŃSKIClick to display biography Emil Bronislav, STELLAClick to display biography Joseph, TUSZYŃSKIClick to display biography Joseph, WILAMOWSKIClick to display biography Alexander, WILCZEWSKIClick to display biography Francis Joseph, ZIELIŃSKIClick to display biography Paul Nicholas, ŻUCHOWSKIClick to display biography Vaclav

sites and events
descriptions

Grudziądz‐Fortress: On the grounds of military Fortress Grudziądz — mainly near so‐called Priests Hills, but also in fortress’ Citadel — on the outskirts of Grudziądz from 10.1939 till 12.1939, as part of so‐called «Intelligenzaktion», Germans murdered in mass executions few hundred Poles from Grudziądz and vicinity, mainly intelligentsia. The biggest atrocities, perpetrated by special Einsatzkommando 16 unit operating in Grudziądz vicinity from 26.09.1939 and local Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz units (Eng. Self‐Defense groups), started after 19.10.1939 when Grudziądz was visited by Albert Forster, the Gauleiter of Danzig‐West Prussia German Reichsgau, who stated that „Danzig‐West Prussia province in short time is to become 100% German and Poles have nothing to do there and should be expelled”, adding: „there is still no Polish blood on the streets of this city”. In Priests Hills executions were carried out early in the mornings and in the evenings, and the victims where brought in groups, in two cars, each with approximately thirty people. (more on: pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.01.13])

VSH Graudenz: As part of «Intelligenzaktion» — physical extermination of Polish intelligentsia from Pomerania — Germans initially in 09.1939 held Poles captive in investigative prison in Grudziądz. After it became too small the genocidal German paramilitary organization Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz — the decision to create Selbstschutz in the Polish lands occupied by German troops was made in Berlin on 08‐10.09.1939 at a conference headed by Reichsführer‐SS Heinrich Himmler (the formal order bears the date 20.09.1939), and the chaotically formed units were directly subordinated to the officers of the genocidal SS organization — organized the Germ. Volksdeutscher Selbstschutzhaft (Eng. Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz custody) VSH in the building of the so‐called Borderlands Hostel building at Chopin Str. (on 31.03.1937, before German invasion, it housed 97 boys). In this building Germans held captive 4,000 to 5,000 Poles, including c. 150 local priests and c. 100 teachers and students of the local teachers' seminary. Most of them were subsequently murdered in local forests (Księże Góry, Mniszek‐Grupa), some were taken to concentration camps and 200 boys — residents of the Borderlands Hostel — were after some time deported as slave laborers to Germany. Everything was obviously done in accordance with „German law” — there was an ad hoc Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz kangaroo court in the camp, which „issued sentences” deciding on the fate of imprisoned Poles. (more on: pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.01.13])

«Intelligenzaktion»: (Eng. „Action Intelligentsia”) — extermination program of Polish elites, mainly intelligentsia, executed by the Germans right from the start of the occupation in 09.1939 till around 05.1940, mainly on the lands directly incorporated into Germany but also in the so‐called Germ. Generalgouvernement (Eng. General Governorate) where it was called «AB‐aktion». During the first phase right after start of German occupation of Poland implemented as Germ. Unternehmen „Tannenberg” (Eng. „Tannenberg operation”) — plan based on proscription lists of Poles worked out by (Germ. Sonderfahndungsbuch Polen), regarded by Germans as specially dangerous to the German Reich. List contained names of c. 61,000 Poles. Altogether during this genocide Germans methodically murdered c. 50,000 teachers, priests, landowners, social and political activists and retired military. Further 50,000 were sent to concentration camps where most of them perished. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2014.10.04])

Collective responsibility („Hostages”): A criminal practice implemented by the Germans in the occupied territories of Poland, applied from the very first day of World War II. At its core was an appointment and public announcement of a list of names of selected people whose lives depended on absolute compliance with German orders. Any violation of these ordinances, by any person, regardless of the circumstances, resulted in the murder of the designated „hostages”. In the first days of the war and occupation, it was used i.a. by the German Wehrmacht army to prevent acts of continuation of the defense by the Poles. Later, especially in the German‐run General Governorate, it was part of the official policy of the occupation authorities — collective responsibility for any acts of resistance to the occupier's practices. For the life of one German, even if death was due to customary reasons, the Germans carried out executions from a dozen to even a hundred Poles previously designated as „hostages”.

Reichsgau Danzig‐Westpreußen: After the Polish defeat in the 09.1939 campaign, which was the result of the Ribbentrop‐Molotov Pact and constituted the first stage of World War II, and the beginning of German occupation in part of Poland (in the other, eastern part of Poland, the Russian occupation began), the Germans divided the occupied Polish territory into five main regions (and a few smaller). The largest one was transformed into Germ. Generalgouvernement (Eng. General Governorate), intended exclusively for Poles and Jews and constituting part of the so‐called Germ. Großdeutschland (Eng. Greater Germany). Two were added to existing German provinces. From two other separate new provinces were created. Vistula Pomerania region was one of them, incorporated into Germany on 08.10.1939, by decree of the German leader Adolf Hitler (formally came into force on 26.10.1939), and on 02.11.1939 transformed into the Germ. Reichsgau Danzig‐Westpreußen (Eng. Reich District of Gdańsk‐West Prussia) province, in which the law of the German state was to apply. The main axis of the policy of the new province, the territory of which the Germans recognized as the Germ. „Ursprünglich Deutsche” (Eng. „natively German”), despite the fact that 85% of its inhabitants were Poles, was Germ. „Entpolonisierung” (Eng. „Depolonisation”), i.e. forced Germanization. C. 60,000 Poles were murdered in 1939‐1940, as part of the Germ. „Intelligenzaktion”, i.e. extermination of Polish intelligentsia and ruling classes, in c. 432 places of mass executions — including c. 220 Polish Catholic priests. The same number were sent to German concentration camps, from where few returned (over 300 priests were arrested, of whom c. 130 died in concentration camps). C. 124,000‐170,000 were displaced, including c. 90,000 to the Germ. Generalgouvernement. Poles were forced en masse to sign the German nationality list, the Germ. Deutsche Volksliste DVL. Polish children could only learn in German. It was forbidden to use the Polish language during Catholic Holy Masses and during confession. Polish landed estates were confiscated..To further reduce the number of the Polish population, Poles were sent to forced labor deep inside Germany. The remaining Poles were treated as low‐skilled labor, isolated from the Germans and strictly controlled — legally, three or three of them could only meet together, even in their own apartments. Many were conscripted into the German Wehrmacht army. After the end of hostilities of World War II, the overseer of this province, the Germ. Reichsstatthalter (Eng. Reich Governor) and the Germ. Gauleiter (Eng. district head) of the German National Socialist Party, Albert Maria Forster, was executed. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2024.06.24])

Pius XI's encyclicals: Facing the creation of two totalitarian systems in Europe, which seemed to compete with each other, though there were more similarities than contradictions between them, Pope Pius XI issued in 03.1937 (within 5 days) two encyclicals. In the „Mit brennender Sorge” (Eng. „With Burning Concern”) published on 14.03.1938, condemned the national socialism prevailing in Germany. The Pope wrote: „Whoever, following the old Germanic‐pre‐Christian beliefs, puts various impersonal fate in the place of a personal God, denies the wisdom of God and Providence […], whoever exalts earthly values: race or nation, or state, or state system, representatives of state power or other fundamental values of human society, […] and makes them the highest standard of all values, including religious ones, and idolizes them, this one […] is far from true faith in God and from a worldview corresponding to such faith”. On 19.03.1937, published „Divini Redemptoris” (Eng. „Divine Redeemer”), in which criticized Russian communism, dialectical materialism and the class struggle theory. The Pope wrote: „Communism deprives man of freedom, and therefore the spiritual basis of all life norms. It deprives the human person of all his dignity and any moral support with which he could resist the onslaught of blind passions […] This is the new gospel that Bolshevik and godless communism preaches as a message of salvation and redemption of humanity”… Pius XI demanded that the established human law be subjected to the natural law of God , recommended the implementation of the ideal of a Christian state and society, and called on Catholics to resist. Two years later, National Socialist Germany and Communist Russia came together and started World War II. (more on: www.vatican.vaClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2023.05.28], www.vatican.vaClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2023.05.28])

Pius XI's encyclicals: Facing the creation of two totalitarian systems in Europe, which seemed to compete with each other, though there were more similarities than contradictions between them, Pope Pius XI issued in 03.1937 (within 5 days) two encyclicals. In the „Mit brennender Sorge” (Eng. „With Burning Concern”) published on 14.03.1938, condemned the national socialism prevailing in Germany. The Pope wrote: „Whoever, following the old Germanic‐pre‐Christian beliefs, puts various impersonal fate in the place of a personal God, denies the wisdom of God and Providence […], whoever exalts earthly values: race or nation, or state, or state system, representatives of state power or other fundamental values of human society, […] and makes them the highest standard of all values, including religious ones, and idolizes them, this one […] is far from true faith in God and from a worldview corresponding to such faith”. On 19.03.1937, published „Divini Redemptoris” (Eng. „Divine Redeemer”), in which criticized Russian communism, dialectical materialism and the class struggle theory. The Pope wrote: „Communism deprives man of freedom, and therefore the spiritual basis of all life norms. It deprives the human person of all his dignity and any moral support with which he could resist the onslaught of blind passions […] This is the new gospel that Bolshevik and godless communism preaches as a message of salvation and redemption of humanity”… Pius XI demanded that the established human law be subjected to the natural law of God , recommended the implementation of the ideal of a Christian state and society, and called on Catholics to resist. Two years later, National Socialist Germany and Communist Russia came together and started World War II. (more on: www.vatican.vaClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2023.05.28], www.vatican.vaClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2023.05.28])

sources

personal:
college.holycross.eduClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2012.11.23], www.bj.uj.edu.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2012.11.23], archive.todayClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2021.12.19]
bibliographical:
„Jesuits on Polish and Lithuanian territory knowledge encyclopedia, 1564‐1995”, Fr Louis Grzebień SI (editor), WAM Printing House, Cracow 1996
original images:
www.sowiniec.com.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2016.03.14], college.holycross.eduClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.05.19], www.miejscapamiecinarodowej.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2014.05.09]