Document Creator
Zwi?zek Bojowników o Wolno?? i Demokracj? (ZBoWiD)
Biography
The Society of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy (Polish: Związek Bojowników o Wolność i Demokrację, ZBoWiD) was an official Polish state-controlled veterans association in the People's Republic of Poland. Initially headed by Franciszek Jóźwiak, it was formed on September 2, 1949 out of 11 pre-existing veterans associations. In its early period, and especially during the Stalinist years, the organization was formed mostly of former veterans of the Soviet-sponsored Polish People's Army, communist partisans and former concentration camp inmates. However, with the advent of a partial political thaw in the 1960s it also started accepting the veterans of other Polish formations that had fought in World War II.
Directly subordinate to the party, the society held an important place within the Polish governmental structure: it was the only authority certifying veterans' and combatants' rights and privileges in Poland. In 1970 the ZBoWiD had roughly 330,000 members, in 1986 almost 800,000. Among its leaders were Mieczysław Moczar and Włodzimierz Sokorski.
In April 1990, ZBoWiD was reorganized into the Związek Kombatantów RP i Byłych Więźniów Politycznych (Society of Veterans of the Republic of Poland and Former Political Prisoners) for members of all Polish military formations including partisan, self-defense units, and the Polish Underground State. (Wikipedia)
System of Arrangement
Arranged in one series: 1. Questionnaires, 1968-1969.
Each questionnaire includes the following questions: 1. Name of the person who offered assistance. 2. Persons whereabouts during the war. 3. How was the help rendered? Hiding, permanent or temporary, providing food, fuel, clothes, false documents, help in finding employment as an “Aryan”, medical assistance etc.? 4. Did they help Jews by contacting underground organization or partisans? 5. Are the Jewish survivors still alive? Do they live in Poland or abroad? Where? 6. Did the Jewish survivors keep in touch with their helpers and in which form? 7. Is the helper still alive? What is the address? 8. Is the helper a member of ZBoWiD? 9. Names of those who were murdered by the Nazi for offering assistance to the Jews. 10. What were their addresses during the war? 11. What other punishments were used by the Germans against helpers? 12. Names of the Jews who perished along with their helpers? 13. Who else knew about the assistance: members of the family, neighbors, others? Their addresses? 14. Names of the people who could confirm the information?
