The tragic death of the young mayor Kubik, which we described in the news, shocked Bolesławiec’s Polish residents. There was a widespread belief that the attack on the town’s leader had been carried out by the German underground, which operated in our area after the end of World War II.
Freies Deutschland (“Free Germany”)
Such structures certainly existed, and the Freies Deutschland (“Free Germany,” FD) organization was one of the most active German militant groups, Paweł Skiersinis, a local historian, argued in istotne.pl.
In Bolesławiec itself (the German Bunzlau), about 3,000 Germans lived after the war, until the expulsions, and about 6,000 in Bolesławiec County. FD’s role as a dangerous organization intended to destabilize and destroy the Polish administration was significant. Robert Primke and Maciej Szczerepa also put forward this thesis; in their work “Werwolf: Secret Operations in Poland,” they do not downplay the organization’s role—in fact, they do the opposite. Pawel Skiersinis cites an entry on his historical blog concerning German militant groups:
“FD is a product of communist propaganda; even the District Military Court in Wrocław, which tried this alleged group in 1946, established that there was no evidence to attribute guilt to the defendants for the destruction of the facilities mentioned (referring to the facilities in Czerna and Zebrzydowa in Nowogrodziec Municipality, set on fire by the ‘Free Germany’ organization—Skiersinis).”
He explains that the sources clearly state that FD set fire to both facilities. Wiesław Dobrzycki (“In the Trap”) presents the following account:
“At night, a sabotage unit set out for Czerna. Groups of several saboteurs broke into the factory. Some poured gasoline over the machines, while others placed explosives inside them. […] When the first Polish workers arrived, explosives began detonating in the burning factory buildings. There could be no question of undertaking a rescue operation. Powerful detonations shook the walls of the factory halls. The fire consumed the machines and equipment. […] The factory burned down almost completely.”
[R. Primke, M. Szczerepa, Werwolf. Tajne operacje w Polsce, s. 110, Kraków 2008].
The Burning of the Tile Factory and Destruction of the Ceramic Plants in Zebrzydowa
The tile factory in Czerna was burned down in November 1945. A few days later, the ceramic plants in Zebrzydowa were destroyed. During their retreat after the successful operation, the militants shot two militiamen. Similar events also occurred in Bolesławiec. “Free Germany” carried out an act of sabotage at a brickworks in Bolesławiec. A mine was also planted at the swimming pools; its explosion killed 38 Soviet soldiers. The mine exploded at the Bolesławiec barracks, killing several Polish soldiers. Members of FD also probably blew up a Soviet freight train. Seven Soviets died as a result.
“Free Germany” Was Not a Product of Polish Propaganda
As Skiersinis adds, FD was not merely a product of Polish propaganda. About 200 members of “Free Germany” were staying in Bunzlau. Their leader was Artur Kühne, a well-known engineer in the city. Freed from Soviet captivity, he began work to restart the city’s electricity and water-supply networks. He was an extremely cunning man who used his position. He surrounded himself with German workers who, in fact, were also part of the sabotage organization. The engineer often traveled to Wrocław and even Berlin to obtain spare parts essential for the networks’ operation. Such parts were difficult to acquire at that time. However, the trips also served as liaison missions. Kühne reported to his superiors, informing them exactly what was happening in Bolesławiec and how the Polish administration was functioning.
The Tragic Victim, Father Sauer
FD was broken up after approximately a year of activity. Unfortunately, the investigations were conducted somewhat blindly. Its most tragic victim was Father Sauer, whom we write about in the next article. The priest’s case shows how determined the authorities were to crush Freies Deutschland. During the investigation, 100 people involved in anti-Polish activity were arrested. Among those sentenced to death were engineer Kühne and his closest associates. German youths aged 14–16 who allegedly belonged to FD were also executed.
The accusation was made above that the military court found no evidence that such an organization existed or that it had carried out acts of sabotage. If that had really been the case, many people, including minors, would not have been sentenced to death. Many FD members died in prison. Such extreme repercussions against Germans are among the evidence that German militant groups were feared with panic. The UB had to resolve the problem at all costs. In many cases it acted blindly, but it succeeded in capturing the main leadership of “Free Germany.” The successful operation by the Security Office was used for propaganda, showing that the bad Germans had been defeated and captured by highly effective Polish services.
The issue of Freies Deutschland’s activities, Skiersinis writes, remains controversial. Many people on the internet deny that such an organization existed, while others say it was communist propaganda. If we accept that “Free Germany” was a fiction, how can we explain the burning of the tile factory in Czerna and the ceramic plants in Zebrzydowa? And who blew up the bridge on the railway line to Jelenia Góra, as well as the entrance to a tunnel on the same route (on May 8, 1945)?
These events happened, and someone must have carried them out. They are attributed to a German militant group, and this is a fact that is difficult to refute. The fact that the people’s propaganda turned Freies Deutschland and Wehrwolf into “large and dangerous organizations” is one matter; nevertheless, they did exist and genuinely posed a threat to Polish statehood in the Recovered Territories.
The text was based on an article by Paweł Skiersinis published on istotne.pl in 2016.
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