• OUR LADY of CZĘSTOCHOWA: st Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionOUR LADY of CZĘSTOCHOWA
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
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Roman Catholic
St Sigismund parish
05-507 Słomczyn
85 Wiślana Str.
Konstancin deanery
Warsaw archdiocese, Poland

  • St SIGISMUND: St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
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    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
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Martyrology of the clergy — Poland

XX century (1914 – 1989)

personal data

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surname

POTEMPA

forename(s)

Victor Philip (pl. Wiktor Filip)

  • POTEMPA Victor Philip - Commemorative plaque, Theological Seminary, Włocławek, source: pomniki.wloclawek.pl, own collection; CLICK TO ZOOM AND DISPLAY INFOPOTEMPA Victor Philip
    Commemorative plaque, Theological Seminary, Włocławek
    source: pomniki.wloclawek.pl
    own collection

function

diocesan priest

creed

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

diocese / province

Włocławek diocesemore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2013.05.19]

Wrocław diocesemore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2013.05.19]

academic distinctions

Doctor of Philosophy

date and place
of death

21.06.1942

KL Dachauconcentration camp
today: Dachau, Upper Bavaria reg., Bavaria state, Germany

more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2016.05.30]

alt. dates and places
of death

22.06.1942

details of death

After World War I when the fate of Upper Silesia was to be decided, as an activist of separatist „Upper Silesia's Union” and Upper Silesian People's Party (Germ. „Oberschlesische Volkspartei”), attacked in 09.1920 by a German thug.

Defending himself managed to shot him.

In 10.1920, after being sentenced and after Polish defeat in the plebiscite on 20.03.1921 managed to escape to Greater Poland.

After German and Russian invasion of Poland in 09.1939 and start of the World War II, after start of German occupation, arrested by the Germans on 26.08.1940.

Interned in DL Scheglin transit camp in Szczeglin.

From there on 29.08.1940 taken to KL Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

Finally transported on 14.12.1940 to KL Dachau concentration camp where perished.

prisoner camp's numbers

22323Click to display source page (KL DachauClick to display the description)

cause of death

extermination: exhaustion and starvation

perpetrators

Germans

sites and events

KL DachauClick to display the description, KL SachsenhausenClick to display the description, DL ScheglinClick to display the description, 26.08.1940 arrests (Warthegau)Click to display the description, Reichsgau WarthelandClick to display the description, Ribbentrop‐MolotovClick to display the description, Pius XI's encyclicalsClick to display the description

date and place
of birth

26.05.1887

Woźnikitoday: Woźniki gm., Lubliniec pov., Silesia voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.18]

presbyter (holy orders)
ordination

21.06.1913 (Wrocławtoday: Wrocław city pov., Lower Silesia voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.04.02]
)

positions held

1935 – 1940

parish priest — Grabienicetoday: Rzgów gm., Konin pov., Greater Poland voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.18]
⋄ St Catherine the Virgin and Martyr RC parish ⋄ Tuliszkówtoday: Tuliszków gm., Turek pov., Greater Poland voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.11.05]
RC deanery

1932 – 1935

prefect — Włocławektoday: Włocławek city pov., Kuyavia‐Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.18]
⋄ Pius X Gymnasium [i.e. Pius X Lyceum and Gymnasium (from 1937) / Lower Theological Seminary – Pius X Gymnasium (till 1937)] — German and Greek languages teacher

1926 – 1932

parish priest — Połajewotoday: Radziejów gm., Piotrków Kujawski pov., Kuyavia‐Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.12.16]
⋄ Holy Trinity RC parish ⋄ Piotrków Kujawski / Radziejówdeanery names/seats
today: Kuyavia‐Pomerania voiv., Poland
RC deanery

1924 – 1926

professor — Włocławektoday: Włocławek city pov., Kuyavia‐Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.18]
⋄ Theological Seminary — history of philosophy

1924 – 1926

teacher — Włocławektoday: Włocławek city pov., Kuyavia‐Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.18]
⋄ Greek language, Pius X Gymnasium [i.e. Pius X Lyceum and Gymnasium (from 1937) / Lower Theological Seminary – Pius X Gymnasium (till 1937)]

1923

prefect — Częstochowatoday: Częstochowa city pov., Silesia voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.18]
⋄ Romuald Traugutt's gymnasium

1922 – 1923

vicar — Łódźtoday: Łódź city pov., Łódź voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.07.18]
⋄ Exaltation of the Holy Cross RC parish ⋄ Łódźtoday: Łódź city pov., Łódź voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.07.18]
RC deanery — also: professor of Theological Seminary, prefect of gymnasium, pastor of German Catholics

1921 – 1922

prefect — Kościantoday: Kościan gm., Kościan pov., Greater Poland voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.07.18]
⋄ High School for Boys and Maria Konopnicka's School for Girls

vicar — Gliwicetoday: Gliwice city pov., Silesia voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.04.02]
⋄ RC parish ⋄ Gliwicetoday: Gliwice city pov., Silesia voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.04.02]
RC deanery

vicar — Kamieniectoday: Zbrosławice gm., Tarnowskie Góry pov., Silesia voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.03.16]
⋄ Nativity of St John the Baptist RC parish ⋄ Pyskowicetoday: Pyskowice urban gm., Gliwice pov., Silesia voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.28]
RC deanery

vicar — Tychytoday: Tychy city pov., Silesia voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.28]
⋄ St Mary Magdalene RC parish

vicar — Berlintoday: Berlin state, Germany
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.07.31]
⋄ RC parish

vicar — Gliwicetoday: Gliwice city pov., Silesia voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.04.02]
⋄ RC parish ⋄ Gliwicetoday: Gliwice city pov., Silesia voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.04.02]
RC deanery

till 1913

PhD student — Wrocławtoday: Wrocław city pov., Lower Silesia voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.04.02]
⋄ philosophy, University of Wrocław [i.e. University of Wrocław (since 1945) / Frederic Wilhelm University of Silesia (1911‐1945) / Royal University i.e. Breslau Academy (1816‐1911)] — PhD thesis Germ. „Der Phaidros in der Entwickelung der Ethik und der Reformgedanken Platons” (Eng. „Phaedrus in the Development of Ethics and the Reform Thoughts of Plato”), public defense on 21.02.1913, ed. Wrocław, 1913

1909 – 1913

student — Wrocławtoday: Wrocław city pov., Lower Silesia voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.04.02]
⋄ philosophy and theology, Department of Theology, University of Wrocław [i.e. University of Wrocław (since 1945) / Frederic Wilhelm University of Silesia (1911‐1945) / Royal University i.e. Breslau Academy (1816‐1911)]

author — e.g. „History of Philosophy” (1926, vol. I), a series of articles in „Athenaeum for Priests” (e.g. „The causes of Plato's abundance among Christian thinkers”), „More psychology in pastoral work, i.e. pastoral theology in the light of psychology” (Włocławek, 1938); as well as the novel „Cross in the Sky

sites and events
descriptions

KL Dachau: KL Dachau in German Bavaria, set up in 1933, became the main German Germ. Konzentrationslager (Eng. concentration camp) KL for Catholic priests and religious during World War II: On c. 09.11.1940, Reichsführer‐SS Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, Gestapo and German police, as a result of the Vatican's intervention, decided to transfer all clergymen detained in various concentration camps to KL Dachau camp. The first major transports took place on 08.12.1940. In KL Dachau Germans held approx. 3,000 priests, including 1,800 Poles. The priests were forced to slave labor in the Germ. „Die Plantage” — the largest herb garden in Europe, managed by the genocidal SS, consisting of many greenhouses, laboratory buildings and arable land, where experiments with new natural medicines were conducted — for many hours, without breaks, without protective clothing, no food. They slaved in construction, e.g. of camp's crematorium. In the barracks ruled hunger, freezing cold in the winter and suffocating heat during the summer, especially acute in 1941‐1942. Prisoners suffered from bouts of illnesses, including tuberculosis. Many were victims of murderous „medical experiments” — in 11.1942 c. 20 were given phlegmon injections; in 07.1942 to 05.1944 c. 120 were used by for malaria experiments. More than 750 Polish clerics where murdered by the Germans, some brought to Schloss Hartheim euthanasia centre and murdered in gas chambers. At its peak KL Dachau concentration camps’ system had nearly 100 slave labour sub‐camps located throughout southern Germany and Austria. There were c. 32,000 documented deaths at the camp, and thousands perished without a trace. C. 10,000 of the 30,000 inmates were found sick at the time of liberation, on 29.04.1945, by the USA troops… (more on: www.kz-gedenkstaette-dachau.deClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.08.10]
, en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2016.05.30]
)

KL Sachsenhausen: In Germ. Konzentrationslager (Eng. concentration camp) KL Sachsenhausen, set up in the former Olympic village in 07.1936, hundreds of Polish priests were held in 1940, before being transported to KL Dachau. Some of them perished in KL Sachsenhausen. Murderous medical experiments on prisoners were carried out in the camp. In 1942‐1944 c. 140 prisoners slaved at manufacturing false British pounds, passports, visas, stamps and other documents. Other prisoners also had to do slave work, for Heinkel aircraft manufacturer, AEG and Siemens among others. On average c. 50,000 prisoners were held at any time. Altogether more than 200,000 inmates were in jailed in KL Sachsenhausen and its branched, out of which tens of thousands perished. Prior to Russian arrival mass evacuation was ordered by the Germans and c. 80,000 prisoners were marched west in so‐called „death marches” to other camps, i.e. KL Mauthausen‐Gusen and KL Bergen‐Belsen. The camp got liberated on 22.04.1945. After end of armed hostilities Germans set up there secret camp for German prisoners and „suspicious” Russian soldiers. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2018.11.18]
)

DL Scheglin: Germ. Durchgangslager Scheglin (Eng. Transit Camp) — German camp in Szczeglin n. Mogilno, operational from 01.10.1939 till 15.09.1940. Germans kept there c. 4,600 Poles, forcing them to perform slave labour — before transporting them to concentration camps. Among others on 29.08.1940 Germans sent from DL Scheglin 188 Polish priests to KL Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Approx. 150 of those held in DL Scheglin were murdered — some in the camp itself, the others in an execution site in Świerkowice forest. (more on: www.dsh.waw.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.06.23]
)

26.08.1940 arrests (Warthegau): As part of strategy formulated by the Gaulaiter of German province Germ. Reichsgau Wartheland, organized by the Germans in the occupied part of Poland known as Greater Poland, Arthur Greiser, implementing „Ohne Gott, ohne Religion, ohne Priesters und Sakramenten” — „without God, without religion, without priest and sacrament” — policy, hundreds of Polish priests were arrested on this day. They were jailed, together with priests arrested previously and held in Ląd on Warta river camp, among others, in DL Scheglin transit camp in Szczeglin n. Mogilno. Three days later all were transferred to KL Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

Reichsgau Wartheland: 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. Greater Poland 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 24.01.1940 transformed into the Germ. Reichsgau Wartheland 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 90% of its inhabitants were Poles, was Germ. „Entpolonisierung” (Eng. „Depolonisation”), i.e. forced Germanization. C. 100,000 Poles were murdered as part of the Germ. „Intelligenzaktion”, i.e. extermination of Polish intelligentsia and ruling classes. C. 630,000 were forcibly resettled to the Germ. Generalgouvernement, and their place taken by the Germans brought from other areas occupied by Germany (e.g. the Baltic countries, Bessarabia, Bukovina, etc.). Poles were forced to sign the German nationality list, the Germ. Deutsche Volksliste DVL. As part of the policy of „Ohne Gott, ohne Religion, ohne Priesters und Sakramenten” (Eng. „No God, no religion, no priest or sacrament”) most Catholic priests were arrested and sent to concentration camps. All schools teaching in Polish, Polish libraries, theaters and museums were closed. Polish landed estates confiscated. To further reduce the number of the Polish population, Poles were sent to forced labor deep inside Germany, and the legal age of marriage for Poles was increased (25 for women, 28 for men). The German state office, Germ. Rasse‐ und Siedlungshauptamt (Eng. Main Office of Race and Settlement) RuSHA, under the majesty of German law, abducted several thousand children who met specific racial criteria from Polish families and subjected them to forced Germanization, handing them over to German families. 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, Arthur Karl Greiser, was executed. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2024.06.21]
)

Ribbentrop‐Molotov: Genocidal Russian‐German alliance pact between Russian leader Joseph Stalin and German leader Adolf Hitler signed on 23.08.1939 in Moscow by respective foreign ministers, Mr. Vyacheslav Molotov for Russia and Joachim von Ribbentrop for Germany. The pact sanctioned and was the direct cause of joint Russian and German invasion of Poland and the outbreak of the World War II in 09.1939. In a political sense, the pact was an attempt to restore the status quo ante before 1914, with one exception, namely the „commercial” exchange of the so‐called „Kingdom of Poland”, which in 1914 was part of the Russian Empire, fore Eastern Galicia (today's western Ukraine), in 1914 belonging to the Austro‐Hungarian Empire. Galicia, including Lviv, was to be taken over by the Russians, the „Kingdom of Poland” — under the name of the General Governorate — Germany. The resultant „war was one of the greatest calamities and dramas of humanity in history, for two atheistic and anti‐Christian ideologies — national and international socialism — rejected God and His fifth Decalogue commandment: Thou shall not kill!” (Abp Stanislav Gądecki, 01.09.2019). The decisions taken — backed up by the betrayal of the formal allies of Poland, France and Germany, which on 12.09.1939, at a joint conference in Abbeville, decided not to provide aid to attacked Poland and not to take military action against Germany (a clear breach of treaty obligations with Poland) — were on 28.09.1939 slightly altered and made more precise when a treaty on „German‐Russian boundaries and friendship” was agreed by the same murderous signatories. One of its findings was establishment of spheres of influence in Central and Eastern Europe and in consequence IV partition of Poland. In one of its secret annexes agreed, that: „the Signatories will not tolerate on its respective territories any Polish propaganda that affects the territory of the other Side. On their respective territories they will suppress all such propaganda and inform each other of the measures taken to accomplish it”. The agreements resulted in a series of meeting between two genocidal organization representing both sides — German Gestapo and Russian NKVD when coordination of efforts to exterminate Polish intelligentsia and Polish leading classes (in Germany called «Intelligenzaktion», in Russia took the form of Katyń massacres) where discussed. Resulted in deaths of hundreds of thousands of Polish intelligentsia, including thousands of priests presented here, and tens of millions of ordinary people,. The results of this Russian‐German pact lasted till 1989 and are still in evidence even today. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2015.09.30]
)

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:
digital.fides.org.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2012.12.28]
, arolsen-archives.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2019.10.13]

bibliographical:
Victims of German crime among Włocławek diocese clergy”, Fr Stanislav Librowski, „Włocławek Diocese Chronicle”, 07‐08.1947
original images:
pomniki.wloclawek.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2020.09.26]

LETTER to CUSTODIAN/ADMINISTRATOR

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giving the following as the subject:

MARTYROLOGY: POTEMPA Victor Philip

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