Poczta Polska pays tribute to heroic postcards
On September 1 this year, as every year this special day, representatives of the company paid tribute to the defenders of the Poczta Polska building. One of the elements of the ceremony was the presentation of unique historical documents - recently found passenger files of postal, who 83 years ago faced the German aggressor, defending the refuge of Polishness in the Free City of Gdańsk.
The memory of the heroic postcards is cultivated by the families of former Poczta Polska employees in the Free City of Gdańsk. The meeting with the offspring associated in this organization is one of the permanent elements of the annual postal celebrations on September 1. This year, at the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk, Poczta Polska presented unique historical finds. The first of them is the recently found Passenger folder Edmund Morawski. The official of Poczta Polska Gdańsk 1 in 1939 was on a two -day vacation, but it did not save him from tragic fate. After the arrest by the Gestapo, on September 2 he went to the Stutthof concentration camp, and then to the Sachsenhausen and Oranienburg camps. He spent the whole war in German casemates. After the war-despite the stigma that the camp life left on his health-he again employed in Poczta Polska and belonged to the pioneers of the postal and communication service. Members of the circle could also see a replica of Andrzej Górski's personal files - a defender of the building, who as one of four people survived the defense in Gdańsk and World War II. After the war - like Edmund Morawski - he again started working in Poczta Polska.
- Poczta Polska is an institution inseparably connected with our state. In difficult moments for their homeland, postalists have repeatedly demonstrated great bravery, courage and commitment to the Polish cause. Today we pay tribute to the defenders of the Gdańsk Poczta Polska building. Postcards who faced the German aggressor gave a beautiful example of attachment to such important values as freedom and independence. It is thanks to such attitudes that Poland survived for so many years of the German occupation, and then the Soviet protectorate - noted Jan Kanthak, secretary of state at the Ministry of State Asset, supervising Polish Post.
Honorary chairwoman Henryk Flisykowska-Kledzik, chairwoman of the Circle Joanna Szymańska, director of the Museum of the Second World War-dr hab. Grzegorz Berendt, Jan Kanthak - Secretary of State at the Ministry of State Asset and members of the Board and Supervisory Board of Poczta Polska.
- Poczta Polska has never been just a workplace. The postalists were and are aware of the social mission, as well as a unique relationship, combining the fate of the homeland with the fate of our institution. Therefore, in the ranks of the post office, especially in difficult times, so many heroes were manifested, who fought for Poland with great determination and dedication. Many of them paid for this with life. Poczta Polska makes every effort to ensure that the memory of our postal heroes never disappears, and their struggle and martyrdom become a symbol and a model of heroism, courage and heroism - said Andrzej Bodziony, vice president of Poczta Polska.
September 1 this year. The company's representatives also took part in the official celebrations devoted to the anniversary of the defense of the Gdańsk Post and submitted wreaths at the monument commemorating the heroic postalists.
An important element of this year's celebration of the anniversary of the post defense in Gdańsk, as in previous years, is the night illumination of the historic Poczta Polska building, in which Poles defended themselves heroically for 14 hours, Poles, 83 years ago. The white and red flag and the inscription "We remember 09.1939" will illuminate the facade on September 1 from 20.00, until 6.00 am the next day.
Poczta Polska has one of the largest and most valuable factory archives in Poland. The documents contained in it, including Personnel folders are a treasury of knowledge not only about the past, but also the extraordinary fate of ordinary people. The selected documentation powers the historical resources of state archives, being an important element of national heritage. Poczta Polska has many documents confirming the involvement of postalists in independence breaks. He still discovers new materials. The employees of the institution were participants of many fights for the freedom and dignity of Poles. One of such events - of special importance for the company - was the defense of Poczta Polska in Gdańsk. On September 1, 1939, in parallel with Westerplatte fire, the Germans attacked the second refuge of Polishness in the Free City - Postal Office Gdańsk 1. Cut off from the world, with small supplies of ammunition, without electricity and water, postalists heroically defended themselves against the overwhelming German forces. The balance of losses was tragic. Those who did not die on the spot or died in the hospital, were sentenced to death and shot. Only a few people managed to survive.
On the basis of historical materials found in the archives of Poczta Polska, the company develops and issues historical albums and organizes exhibitions in post offices. In the current and previous year, the National Operator, in close cooperation with historical institutions, released two editions of the album "Forgotten History of Insurgent Warsaw in the personal files of the Polish Poczta Archives".