function

diocesan priest

creed

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

diocese / province

Culm (Chełmno) diocesemore on
pl.wikipedia.org
[access: 2012.11.23]
RC Military Ordinariate of Polandmore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2014.12.20]

honorary titles

„Cross of Valour”more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2019.04.16]

date and place
of death

10.10.1939

Birkenek forestn. Brzezinek
today: Zbiczno gm., Brodnica pov., Kuyavia‐Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.28]

alt. dates and places
of death

07.10.1939, 11.1939

Skrwileńskie foreststoday: Skrwilno gm., Rypin pov., Kuyavia‐Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.18]
Rypintoday: Rypin gm., Rypin pov., Kuyavia‐Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.18]

details of death

alt. details of death

cause of death

mass murder

perpetrators

Germans

sites and events

Birkenek forestClick to display the description, VSH Strasburg an der DrewenzClick to display the description, Skrwilno forestsClick to display the description, VSH RypinClick to display the description, «Intelligenzaktion»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, Polish‐Russian war of 1919‐1921Click to display the description, Pomeranian PhilomathsClick to display the description

date and place
of birth

13.11.1888

Osieczektoday: Książki gm., Wąbrzeźno pov., Kuyavia‐Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.02]

presbyter (holy orders)
ordination

29.03.1914 (Pelpin cathedralmore on
pl.wikipedia.org
[access: 2014.11.14])

positions held

others related
in death

BATKOClick to display biography Alexander, BORZYSZKOWSKIClick to display biography Joseph, BUSZTAClick to display biography Anthony (Fr Simon), FLACZYŃSKIClick to display biography Francis, GAJEWSKIClick to display biography Vladislav, GOGOLEWSKIClick to display biography Stanislav, GRABOWSKIClick to display biography Sigismund, HINZClick to display biography Thaddeus, KACZOROWSKIClick to display biography Michael, MAKOWSKIClick to display biography Paul (Fr Bruno), MALINOWSKIClick to display biography Constantine Peter, MATEUSZCZYKClick to display biography Theodore, NOWAKClick to display biography Stanislav Zeno, OSTROWSKIClick to display biography Francis Xavier, PĘDZICHClick to display biography Boleslav, PRABUCKIClick to display biography Boleslav Rock, PRYBAClick to display biography Leo Simon, RADTKEClick to display biography Steven Boleslav, SŁAWIŃSKIClick to display biography Stanislav, WALCZAKClick to display biography Mary (Sr Theodosia), WILAMOWSKIClick to display biography Alexander, ŻUCHOWSKIClick to display biography Vaclav

sites and events
descriptions

Birkenek forest: In the forest near the Birkenek estate (off Brzezinki village) in the Zbiczno county, c. 8 km north of Brodnica, in 10.1939, the Germans — as part of «Intelligenzaktion», extermination of Polish intelligentsia program — murdered c. 400 inhabitants of Brodnica and the surrounding villages: teachers, foresters, bankers, social and political activists, merchants, officials, railway workers, farmers, foresters, workers, craftsmen, landowners, prominent residents. The executions took place on 10.10.1939, 15.10.1939, 17/18.10.1939, 26‐28.10.1939. Members of the Germ. Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz (Eng. Ethnic Germans Self‐Defense) VS and the German police brought those held in the VSH Strasburg an der Drewenz detention centers in Brodnica to the crime scene by trucks. There shot them over trenches dug before the war broke out. Executions usually took place in the evening or at night — in the light of car headlights. In the autumn of 1944, the Germans exhumed the remains of the victims and burned them. (more on: pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2015.09.30])

VSH Strasburg an der Drewenz: German Germ. Volksdeutscher Selbstschutzhaft (Eng. Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz custody) VSH for the inhabitants of the Brodnica district, founded in 09/10.1939 in Brodnica by Germans, members of the genocidal paramilitary formation Germ. Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz (Eng. Ethnic Germans Self‐Defense ) VS — 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. The Germans occupied Brodnica on 07.09.1939. With support of the German minority of the region — incorporated directly into Germany in 10.1939 as the Germ. Regierungsbezirk Marienwerder (Eng. Kwidzyn regency) of the new province of the Germ. Reichsgau Danzig–Westpreußen (Eng. Reich District Gdańsk–West Prussia) — the structures of the VS were organized by SS officers. At the same time, from the second decade of 09.1939, a sub‐unit of the genocidal organization Einsatzgruppe operated in Brodnica, whose task was to „fight all elements hostile to the Reich and Germany in the rear of the fighting troops” and „capture politically unreliable persons”. Initially, this meant people whose names were included in the German proscription list developed in Berlin, the Germ. Sonderfahndungsbuch Polen (Eng. special book of wanted Poles), containing over 61,000 names — teachers, foresters, prominent local residents. The detention center was set up in a villa at 23 Ogrodowa Str. in Brodnica (the so‐called „Krasinski’s Villa”), which became the seat of the 1st Inspectorate of the VS. Later, the arrested Poles were also held in the headquarters of the Germ. Geheime Staatspolizei (Eng. Secret State Police), or Gestapo, at Paderewski Str., in the monastery building at 5 Sądowa Str. and in the military barracks at Czwartaków Str. A total of c. 450‐500 Poles were held there — the VS militants abused the prisoners, starved them, stripped to the waist and taken out into the yard, where beat them with whips. Most of them — as part of «Intelligenzaktion», aimed at extermination of Polish intelligentsia and ruling classes — were murdered in the forest near the Birkenek estate (by Brzezinki village), c. 8 km north of Brodnica; some in the so‐called „House of Torment” in Rypin or in the nearby Skrvilen and Rusyn forests. (more on: pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2015.09.30])

Skrwilno forests: In 10‐11.1939 in Skrwilno forests n. Rypin Germans — as part of «Intelligenzaktion», extermination of Polish intelligentsia program —murdered c. 450 Poles from Rypin and surrounding villages and prisoners brought from Brodnica. In 1939‐1945 in those forests Germans murdered few thousands Polish citizens altogether. (more on: pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2015.09.30])

VSH Rypin: German Germ. Volksdeutscher Selbstschutzhaft (Eng. Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz custody) VSH for the inhabitants of the Dobrzyń region founded in 09/10.1939 by Germans, members of the genocidal paramilitary Germ. Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz formation — 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. Rypin the Germans captured on 07.09.1939. Based on the German minority of the region — incorporated directly into Germany in 10.1939 as the Germ. Regierungsbezirk Marienwerder (Eng. Kwidzyn Regency) of the new province Germ. Reichsgau Danzig–Westpreußen (Eng. Reich District of Gdańsk–West Prussia) — the VS structure was organized by the SS officer who arrived with the invaders. The arrest was organized in former Polish State Police station in Rypin, at the same time becaming an outpost of the Germ. Geheime Staatspolizei (Eng. Secret State Police), i.e. Gestapo. C. 1,100‐2,000 Poles were imprisoned and tortured there (the building started to be known as the „House of Torment”). Among the arrested were c. 96 Polish teachers and education workers (they were summoned to the building of the Rypin County Office to „participate in an educational conference”, and promptly detained), landowners, officials, lawyers, doctors, students, members of organizations promoting Polishness, peasants and workers respected in their communities, high school students, as well as at least 18 Catholic priests. The dogs were set on them, nails were driven into their backs, their mouths were filled with plaster, the heads of small children were smashed against walls, and arrested women were raped. Pregnant women were murdered. The victims' gold teeth were pulled out (by a local Ukrainian collaborating with the Germans). Most of them — as part of «Intelligenzaktion», aimed at extermination of Polish intelligentsia and ruling classes — were murdered in the detention facility, in Rypin itself or in the nearby Skrwileńskie and Rusinowskie forests. (more on: pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.08.17])

«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])

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])

Polish‐Russian war of 1919‐1921: War for independence of Poland and its borders. Poland regained independence in 1918 but had to fight for its borders with former imperial powers, in particular Russia. Russia planned to incite Bolshevik‐like revolutions in the Western Europe and thus invaded Poland. Russian invaders were defeated in 08.1920 in a battle called Warsaw battle („Vistula river miracle”, one of the 10 most important battles in history, according to some historians). Thanks to this victory Poland recaptured part of the lands lost during partitions of Poland in XVIII century, and Europe was saved from the genocidal Communism. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2014.12.20])

Pomeranian Philomaths: Secret societies of Polish youth, aiming at self‐education, patriotic in form and content, functioning 1830‐1920, mainly in secondary schools — gymnasia — in Pomerania around Vistula river (Gdańsk Pomerania and Chełmno county), in Prussian‐occupied Polish territories (one of the partitions of Poland). On 08.01.1901 Germans conducted a series of interrogations of students at Chełmno, Brodnica and Toruń gymnasiums. On 09‐12.09.1901 the first of court trials of Polish students from those gymnasiums and students of Theological Seminary in Pelplin was held in Toruń. 1 person was sentenced to 3 months in prison, 1 to 2 months, 3 to 6 weeks, 7 to 3 weeks, 2 to 2 weeks, 19 to a week, 2 to 1 day, 10 were reprimanded. 15 were cleared. More definitive penalties were relegations from the schools with so‐called wolf’s ticket, forbidding sentenced students to continue secondary and higher studies in Prussia (Germany). Among those penalized were a few future Catholic priests — those were able to continue their education for the Chełmno diocese bishop, Bp August Rosentreter, refused to relegate students from Theological Seminary. (more on: pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2018.11.18])

sources

personal:
www.niedziela.diecezja.torun.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2012.11.23], www.niedziela.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.10.05]
bibliographical:
„Biographical dictionary of priests of the Chełmno diocese ordained in the years 1821‐1920”, Henry Mross, Pelplin, 1995
original images:
gdansk.ipn.gov.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2020.10.02]