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Education in Poland during World War II

December 02, 2023

During World War II in Poland, education often took place underground. Secretly conducted education prepared scholars and workers for the postwar reconstruction of Poland and countered German and Soviet threats to eradicate Polish culture.

Background: repressions of Polish education edit

 
Łopiennik Górny 1941 - Education in Poland during World War II

After the Polish defeat in the invasion of Poland of 1939 and the subsequent German and Soviet occupation of Polish territory, Poland was divided into the areas directly incorporated into the Reich, areas directly incorporated into the Soviet Union and the German-controlled General Government. According to Nazi racial theories the Slavs needed no higher education and the whole nation was to be turned into uneducated serfs for the German race.[1] The only schools that remained opened were trade schools and courses for factory workers.[1] Himmler prescribed:[2]

For the non-German population of the East there can be no type of school above the four-grade rudimentary school. The job of these schools should be confined to the teaching of counting (no higher than up to 500), the writing of one's name, and the teaching that God's commandment means obedience to the Germans, honesty, industry and politeness. Reading I do not consider essential.

By 1941, the number of children attending elementary school in the General Government was half of the pre-war number.[3]

On the territories incorporated into the Reich, education in Polish was banned and punished with death. Throughout Polish territory, the Germans abolished all university education for non-Germans. All institutions of higher education were closed. Their equipment and most of the laboratories were taken to Germany and divided among the German universities while the buildings were turned into offices and military barracks.

There existed however the Staatliche Kunstgewerbeschule Krakau, which educated many Polish artists. It inspired also a number of theater creators cooperating with Tadeusz Kantor.

Resistance: the underground education edit

However, many teachers, professors and educational activists organized underground courses all around the country, reviving the tradition of Flying University from the times of partition of Poland. Those who survived the A-B Aktion and were not sent to concentration camps actively lectured to small groups in private apartments. The attendants were constantly risking deportation and death.

Most of the underground education was organized by the Secret Teaching Organization (Tajna Organizacja Nauczycielska, TON), which took care of the underground primary and secondary level education. Norman Davies notes that the Organization undertook the education of a million children.[4] By 1942, about 1,500,000 students took part in underground primary education; in 1944, the clandestine secondary school system covered 100,000 people and the secret university level courses about 10,000.[5]

The net of underground university faculties spread rapidly and by 1944 there were more than 300 lecturers and 3,500 students at various courses at the Warsaw University alone. Underground Law and Social Sciences faculties, as well as Humanities, Medical, Theological, Mathematical and Biology faculties were kept alive at Stefan Batory University in Wilno (now Vilnius) from 1939 until 1944 with lectures, seminars and exams.[6]

The main universities included the University of Lwów, Warsaw University, Stefan Batory University in Wilno and Jagiellonian University in Kraków. A new University of Western Lands (Uniwersytet Ziem Zachodnich) was created in Warsaw, with branches in Kielce, Jędrzejów, Częstochowa and Milanówek. The latter university was composed mostly of the professors of Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań and included 17 different units, among them the faculty of medicine and surgery.

Almost 10,000 students received master's degrees at the secret universities and several hundred others received doctorates. Secret printing houses that sprang up across Poland shortly after the war started, provided the facilities of secret learning with handbooks and scripts.

The professors organized a net of secret high schools, trade schools and special courses on forbidden subjects, such as the Polish language, history and geography. A special case were the secret talmudic schools organized in ghettos. Until 1944 there were more than a million secret high school students in Poland. At least 18,000 students passed their final school exams and received their certificates. This led to a bizarre situation in which students of formally non-existent high schools entered formally non-existent universities. Most of these certificates were issued on pre-war forms with the dates forged to indicate either 1938 or 1939. These were later accepted by post-war Polish universities.

There was also a net of secret military colleges in most major cities. Until 1944, most of Armia Krajowa regiments had their military schools for Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) while the regional headquarters organized officer courses and special training. The Szare Szeregi (the underground Polish Scouting Association) opened its own NCO school in Warsaw nicknamed Agricola.

Religious education and training also took place. Prominently, the Roman Catholic Church operated underground seminaries for the education of priests. One well-known seminary was run by the Archbishop of Kraków, Cardinal Sapieha and trained future Cardinal and Pope, John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla).

Underground-university lecturers edit

This is a partial list of professors who risked their lives teaching under the Nazi and Soviet occupations. Dates of death are given for those executed for their teaching activities.

Warsaw edit

Kraków edit

Lwów edit

Wilno edit

Others edit

Underground-university students edit

These are some notable underground-university students:

Ukrainian education edit

Ukrainian education in occupied Poland was more developed than before the war.[9]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Chapter XIII - GERMANIZATION AND SPOLIATION 2003-12-03 at the Wayback Machine"
  2. ^ "HITLER'S PLANS FOR EASTERN EUROPE"
  3. ^ Richard C. Lukas, Forgotten Holocaust p10 ISBN 0-7818-0528-7
  4. ^ Norman Davies, God's Playground: A History of Poland in Two Volumes, Oxford University Press, 2005, ISBN 0-19-925340-4, Google Print, p.342
  5. ^ (in Polish) Ryszard Czekajowski, Tajna edukacja cywilna w latach wojenno-okupacyjnych Polski 1939-1945 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Mikołaj Tarkowski, Przyczynek do dziejów szkolnictwa wyzszego w dwudziestoleciu międzywojennym,[1] 2008-02-27 at the Wayback Machine Gdańsk. Page 22.
  7. ^ a b c (in Polish) Mikołaj Tarkowski, Wydział Prawa i Nauk Społecznych Uniwersytetu Stefana Batorego w Wilnie 1919-1939, - przyczynek do dziejów szkolnictwa wyższego w dwudziestoleciu międzywojennym 2008-02-27 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Footnote: information is uncertain, he possibly taught pedagogy and/or psychology, possibly in Kraków
  9. ^ Dzieje Najnowsze kwartalnik poswiecony historii bazhum.muzhp.pl 1998 Retrieved 31 March 2023

Additional sources edit

  • J. Ślaski Polska Walcząca (1939–1945), vol. 3 "Noc", Instytut Wydawniczy Pax, Warsaw, 1986, p. 34. See: racial theories of Heinrich Himmler
  • Adam Redzik, Rocznik, Instytut Lwowski, Warsaw, ISSN 1230-0829
  • Adam Redzik, Polish Universities During the Second World War, Encuentros de Historia Comparada Hispano-Polaca / Spotkania poświęcone historii porównawczej hiszpańsko-polskiej conference, 2004
  • Zygmunt Albert, Okupacja Hitlerowska 1941-1944, Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich - Wydawnictwo. Wrocław 1975.

December 02, 2023
education, poland, during, world, during, world, poland, education, often, took, place, underground, secretly, conducted, education, prepared, scholars, workers, postwar, reconstruction, poland, countered, german, soviet, threats, eradicate, polish, culture, c. During World War II in Poland education often took place underground Secretly conducted education prepared scholars and workers for the postwar reconstruction of Poland and countered German and Soviet threats to eradicate Polish culture Contents 1 Background repressions of Polish education 2 Resistance the underground education 3 Underground university lecturers 3 1 Warsaw 3 2 Krakow 3 3 Lwow 3 4 Wilno 3 5 Others 4 Underground university students 5 Ukrainian education 6 References 6 1 Additional sourcesBackground repressions of Polish education edit nbsp Lopiennik Gorny 1941 Education in Poland during World War IIAfter the Polish defeat in the invasion of Poland of 1939 and the subsequent German and Soviet occupation of Polish territory Poland was divided into the areas directly incorporated into the Reich areas directly incorporated into the Soviet Union and the German controlled General Government According to Nazi racial theories the Slavs needed no higher education and the whole nation was to be turned into uneducated serfs for the German race 1 The only schools that remained opened were trade schools and courses for factory workers 1 Himmler prescribed 2 For the non German population of the East there can be no type of school above the four grade rudimentary school The job of these schools should be confined to the teaching of counting no higher than up to 500 the writing of one s name and the teaching that God s commandment means obedience to the Germans honesty industry and politeness Reading I do not consider essential By 1941 the number of children attending elementary school in the General Government was half of the pre war number 3 On the territories incorporated into the Reich education in Polish was banned and punished with death Throughout Polish territory the Germans abolished all university education for non Germans All institutions of higher education were closed Their equipment and most of the laboratories were taken to Germany and divided among the German universities while the buildings were turned into offices and military barracks There existed however the Staatliche Kunstgewerbeschule Krakau which educated many Polish artists It inspired also a number of theater creators cooperating with Tadeusz Kantor Resistance the underground education editHowever many teachers professors and educational activists organized underground courses all around the country reviving the tradition of Flying University from the times of partition of Poland Those who survived the A B Aktion and were not sent to concentration camps actively lectured to small groups in private apartments The attendants were constantly risking deportation and death Most of the underground education was organized by the Secret Teaching Organization Tajna Organizacja Nauczycielska TON which took care of the underground primary and secondary level education Norman Davies notes that the Organization undertook the education of a million children 4 By 1942 about 1 500 000 students took part in underground primary education in 1944 the clandestine secondary school system covered 100 000 people and the secret university level courses about 10 000 5 The net of underground university faculties spread rapidly and by 1944 there were more than 300 lecturers and 3 500 students at various courses at the Warsaw University alone Underground Law and Social Sciences faculties as well as Humanities Medical Theological Mathematical and Biology faculties were kept alive at Stefan Batory University in Wilno now Vilnius from 1939 until 1944 with lectures seminars and exams 6 The main universities included the University of Lwow Warsaw University Stefan Batory University in Wilno and Jagiellonian University in Krakow A new University of Western Lands Uniwersytet Ziem Zachodnich was created in Warsaw with branches in Kielce Jedrzejow Czestochowa and Milanowek The latter university was composed mostly of the professors of Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznan and included 17 different units among them the faculty of medicine and surgery Almost 10 000 students received master s degrees at the secret universities and several hundred others received doctorates Secret printing houses that sprang up across Poland shortly after the war started provided the facilities of secret learning with handbooks and scripts The professors organized a net of secret high schools trade schools and special courses on forbidden subjects such as the Polish language history and geography A special case were the secret talmudic schools organized in ghettos Until 1944 there were more than a million secret high school students in Poland At least 18 000 students passed their final school exams and received their certificates This led to a bizarre situation in which students of formally non existent high schools entered formally non existent universities Most of these certificates were issued on pre war forms with the dates forged to indicate either 1938 or 1939 These were later accepted by post war Polish universities There was also a net of secret military colleges in most major cities Until 1944 most of Armia Krajowa regiments had their military schools for Non commissioned officers NCOs while the regional headquarters organized officer courses and special training The Szare Szeregi the underground Polish Scouting Association opened its own NCO school in Warsaw nicknamed Agricola Religious education and training also took place Prominently the Roman Catholic Church operated underground seminaries for the education of priests One well known seminary was run by the Archbishop of Krakow Cardinal Sapieha and trained future Cardinal and Pope John Paul II Karol Wojtyla Underground university lecturers editThis is a partial list of professors who risked their lives teaching under the Nazi and Soviet occupations Dates of death are given for those executed for their teaching activities Warsaw edit Stefan Bryla engineering d 1943 Eugeniusz Lokajski sports d 1944 Warsaw Uprising Marceli Handelsman history d 1945 Kazimierz Kuratowski mathematics Tadeusz Manteuffel history Andrzej Mostowski mathematics Kazimierz Iwinski Polish language Zygmunt Szweykowski history Wladyslaw Tatarkiewicz history of philosophy history of aesthetics history of art Jan Lukasiewicz logic and philosophyKrakow edit Wladyslaw Czaplinski history Marian Gieszczykiewicz biology d 1942 Mieczyslaw Malecki linguistics responsible for organizing much of Krakow s underground education Konstanty Troczynski literature d 1942 Adam Stefan Sapieha theology Wladyslaw Slebodzinski mathematicsLwow edit Stefan Inglot historian imprisoned but not executed Wilno edit Iwo Jaworski law 7 Kazimierz Petrusewicz law 7 Bronislaw Wroblewski law 7 Stefan EhrenkreutzOthers edit Franciszek Leja history Lancut Lezajsk Tadeusz Strumillo 8 Underground university students editThese are some notable underground university students Adam Bielanski chemist Jagiellonian University professor member of the Polish Academy of Sciences Krakow Andrzej Maria Deskur Roman Catholic cardinal Krakow Zbigniew Herbert poet Krakow Tadeusz Konwicki writer film director Wilno Karol Jozef Wojtyla Pope John Paul II KrakowUkrainian education editUkrainian education in occupied Poland was more developed than before the war 9 References edit a b Chapter XIII GERMANIZATION AND SPOLIATION Archived 2003 12 03 at the Wayback Machine HITLER S PLANS FOR EASTERN EUROPE Richard C Lukas Forgotten Holocaust p10 ISBN 0 7818 0528 7 Norman Davies God s Playground A History of Poland in Two Volumes Oxford University Press 2005 ISBN 0 19 925340 4 Google Print p 342 in Polish Ryszard Czekajowski Tajna edukacja cywilna w latach wojenno okupacyjnych Polski 1939 1945 Archived 2016 03 03 at the Wayback Machine Mikolaj Tarkowski Przyczynek do dziejow szkolnictwa wyzszego w dwudziestoleciu miedzywojennym 1 Archived 2008 02 27 at the Wayback Machine Gdansk Page 22 a b c in Polish Mikolaj Tarkowski Wydzial Prawa i Nauk Spolecznych Uniwersytetu Stefana Batorego w Wilnie 1919 1939 przyczynek do dziejow szkolnictwa wyzszego w dwudziestoleciu miedzywojennym Archived 2008 02 27 at the Wayback Machine Footnote information is uncertain he possibly taught pedagogy and or psychology possibly in Krakow Dzieje Najnowsze kwartalnik poswiecony historii bazhum muzhp pl 1998 Retrieved 31 March 2023 Additional sources edit J Slaski Polska Walczaca 1939 1945 vol 3 Noc Instytut Wydawniczy Pax Warsaw 1986 p 34 See racial theories of Heinrich Himmler Adam Redzik Rocznik Instytut Lwowski Warsaw ISSN 1230 0829 Adam Redzik Polish Universities During the Second World War Encuentros de Historia Comparada Hispano Polaca Spotkania poswiecone historii porownawczej hiszpansko polskiej conference 2004 Zygmunt Albert Okupacja Hitlerowska 1941 1944 Zaklad Narodowy im Ossolinskich Wydawnictwo Wroclaw 1975 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Education in Poland during World War II amp oldid 1174945337, wikipedia, 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