From my history blog :
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When we think of Christmas we tend to imagine a Christams tree,
a family gathered at a Christams table, groaned with hearty dishes. We visualise people smiling, laughing, exchanging wishes and gifts, children waiting for Santa and the first star upon the sky.
All that comforts us and brings back joyful and merry memories. We take Christmas for granted, not fully appreciating how blessed and fortunate we are.
Yet, during the hostile and harsh times of WWII joy and merriness were not to be found on children and adults' faces alike. Polish families were often seperated from one another, some in concentration camps, whereas others fighting on the front in inhospitable, severe conditions. The dream of a merry and joyful Christams was as distant as the end of the war. It goes without saying, that they were deprived of decent clothing, let alone food.
They lacked things, which for us, contemporaries seem to be indispensable. We might assume, that they did long for Christmas, wearied with being threatened, humiliated and exhausted from sheer pain and suffering.
There were those, imprisoned in ghettos, dying of hunger, without a chance of escaping. Some of them used to be wealthy before the war, now deprived of their riches and honour, confined in austere conditions. Those who remained in their houses, usually ruined and dilapidating, thought about their relatives, hoping for the better future to come, people full of anguish and anxiety.
Still, in those cruel and merciless times, a spark of hope and a craving for a merry Christmas remained.
Christmas at WWII war is depicted in the book 'Pamietniki znalezione w Katyniu - Diaries found in Katyń'. It is a description of Christmas time through the eyes of Polish officers murdered in Katyn. The diaries of the officers were found and compiled into a book.
Officer Dyjas Augustyn: 20.12.1939
'Christmas is coming and we are still here, it will be hard without you, in exile and captivity. I am lying - I've been thinking a lot about you darling, how I am going to see you after all this warfare.
23.12.1939
'Today is Christmas Eve Marysieńko, since the morning(4 a.m) - I have worked in the room, preparations to the Christmas Dinner.(...) As a delegate I said my wishes to those in other rooms. In our room the Christmas Dinner was really solemn - 15 men. The camp bed and the table covered with a sheet - a tiny christmas tree, home made Holly Wafer and hay. I was thinking about you and Bożenka all the time. I wish you all the best, a prompt meeting with me and I wish our life afterwards would be even better than before.'
Officer Pieńkowski Stefan
'What a Christmas Eve- full of tears - both open and secret ones'
Officer Siwicki Tomasz
'Christmas Eve. It is forbidden to sing carols and gatherings. For dinner we have a herring with an onion. I prepared black coffee. Instead of a christmas tree, twigs entangled on a pole. Scattered candles lit and Holly Wafer made by prisoners (grey thin cakes). On the one hand, you could see excitement, on the other hand deep reflection and even tears. Carolling was not allowed. Everybody was thinking about their relatives and about coming back home. Lunar night, little frost and snow- a perfect Christmas -unfortunately, only the weather reminds you of Christmas'.
Czesław Miłosz, a Polish poet and a Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, wrote in his poem 'Baśń Wigilijna - Christmas Eve Tale' - 'Hairy runners strained at the leash ' , ' The runners whined hungry for quarry'. The poem was published in 1942, thus we might interpret hairy runners as stronger animals waiting to attack the weak one. We might assume that the poet wished to express his concern about his countrymen being opressed by the enemy army.
Zbigniew Chudy, born in Rusiec in 1932, a man who survived the bombardment of Wieluń on 01.09.1939, writes in his book
'Zbrodnie niemieckie w Wieluniu w latach 1939-1945- German war crimes in Wieluń 1939-1945' - ' The winter of 1939/1940 was really harsh. In January frost was minus 42 degrees C. Tree trunks cracked.......Christmas was really frugal. There was no christmas tree, and it was really hard to get Holly Wafer. We didn't attend the Chritmas Mass either. The Christmas Eve was partially traditional as we didn't have 12 dishes. We had makielki, mushroom soup and cabbage with peas. We wished one another the war would be over........There were no presents under the christmas tree as there was no christmas tree.'
In the book 'Świadkowie historii - History witnesses' Wacław Wyszyński, who was sent to Germany during the war to work in a factory, describes Christmas Eve this way:
' Christmas of 1941- so different from that at home. Christmas Eve - but there is no Christmas Dinner, only sausage and potatoes. It is hard, but one has to eat. Yet, by the plates, there are tiny gifts, such as socks, handkerchiefs. At the same time it is my first winter in Germany and now I appreciate the advantage of having a double eiderdown.'
Aleksander Pawelec in his 'Wspomnienie z lat młodości i II wojny światowej - Recollection of juvenility and WW II' depicts Christmas during the war in the following way:
'Christmas of 1942 came. Christmas Dinner in polish homes was an opportunity to strenghten the religious cult, and Christmas itself a chance to meet the dearest and nearest and friends. With unheard- of affection and patriotism carols and religious songs were sung. Along with carols, war songs were heard. In some houses people plucked courage to sing Rota.'
Facing pain, suffering, humiliation and constant anguish Polish people at WWII were full of hope for the better future, which was the end of WWII and rebuilding their lives, cities, houses and values. Christmas was, undoubtedly, the time of reflection and a kind of detachment from cruel and bitter reality. They appear to have never given up their dreams of a free and independent country.
We, contemporaries, ought to always bear in mind and foster the memories and testimonies of those brave men. We shall build a better future and never forget what they were fighting for.
Małgorzata Olborska
Bibliography
1.Czesław Miłosz, Baśń Wigilijna, Ocalenie, Warszawa, Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza "Czytelnik",1845
2.Świadkowie Historii, Represje niemieckie wobec obywateli polskich w okresie II Wojny Światowej, Warszawa, Fundacja Polsko- Niemieckie Pojednanie, 2010
3. Zbigniew Chudy, Zbrodnie Niemieckie w Wieluniu w latach 1939-1945, Wrocław, Wydawnictwo Nortom, 2009
4. Aleksander Pawelec, Wspomnienie z lat młodości i II wojny światowej( 1934- 1945), Lututów- Gdynia- Pruszcz Gdański- Wieluń, Urząd Gminy w Lututowie, 2006
5. Pamiętniki znalezione w Katyniu , z przedmową Janusza Zawodnego, wydanie II rozszerzone, Editions Spotkania, Paris - Warszawa 1990.
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2177383905586525947#allposts/src=sidebar
When we think of Christmas we tend to imagine a Christams tree,
a family gathered at a Christams table, groaned with hearty dishes. We visualise people smiling, laughing, exchanging wishes and gifts, children waiting for Santa and the first star upon the sky.
All that comforts us and brings back joyful and merry memories. We take Christmas for granted, not fully appreciating how blessed and fortunate we are.
Yet, during the hostile and harsh times of WWII joy and merriness were not to be found on children and adults' faces alike. Polish families were often seperated from one another, some in concentration camps, whereas others fighting on the front in inhospitable, severe conditions. The dream of a merry and joyful Christams was as distant as the end of the war. It goes without saying, that they were deprived of decent clothing, let alone food.
They lacked things, which for us, contemporaries seem to be indispensable. We might assume, that they did long for Christmas, wearied with being threatened, humiliated and exhausted from sheer pain and suffering.
There were those, imprisoned in ghettos, dying of hunger, without a chance of escaping. Some of them used to be wealthy before the war, now deprived of their riches and honour, confined in austere conditions. Those who remained in their houses, usually ruined and dilapidating, thought about their relatives, hoping for the better future to come, people full of anguish and anxiety.
Still, in those cruel and merciless times, a spark of hope and a craving for a merry Christmas remained.
Christmas at WWII war is depicted in the book 'Pamietniki znalezione w Katyniu - Diaries found in Katyń'. It is a description of Christmas time through the eyes of Polish officers murdered in Katyn. The diaries of the officers were found and compiled into a book.
Officer Dyjas Augustyn: 20.12.1939
'Christmas is coming and we are still here, it will be hard without you, in exile and captivity. I am lying - I've been thinking a lot about you darling, how I am going to see you after all this warfare.
23.12.1939
'Today is Christmas Eve Marysieńko, since the morning(4 a.m) - I have worked in the room, preparations to the Christmas Dinner.(...) As a delegate I said my wishes to those in other rooms. In our room the Christmas Dinner was really solemn - 15 men. The camp bed and the table covered with a sheet - a tiny christmas tree, home made Holly Wafer and hay. I was thinking about you and Bożenka all the time. I wish you all the best, a prompt meeting with me and I wish our life afterwards would be even better than before.'
Officer Pieńkowski Stefan
'What a Christmas Eve- full of tears - both open and secret ones'
Officer Siwicki Tomasz
'Christmas Eve. It is forbidden to sing carols and gatherings. For dinner we have a herring with an onion. I prepared black coffee. Instead of a christmas tree, twigs entangled on a pole. Scattered candles lit and Holly Wafer made by prisoners (grey thin cakes). On the one hand, you could see excitement, on the other hand deep reflection and even tears. Carolling was not allowed. Everybody was thinking about their relatives and about coming back home. Lunar night, little frost and snow- a perfect Christmas -unfortunately, only the weather reminds you of Christmas'.
Czesław Miłosz, a Polish poet and a Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, wrote in his poem 'Baśń Wigilijna - Christmas Eve Tale' - 'Hairy runners strained at the leash ' , ' The runners whined hungry for quarry'. The poem was published in 1942, thus we might interpret hairy runners as stronger animals waiting to attack the weak one. We might assume that the poet wished to express his concern about his countrymen being opressed by the enemy army.
Zbigniew Chudy, born in Rusiec in 1932, a man who survived the bombardment of Wieluń on 01.09.1939, writes in his book
'Zbrodnie niemieckie w Wieluniu w latach 1939-1945- German war crimes in Wieluń 1939-1945' - ' The winter of 1939/1940 was really harsh. In January frost was minus 42 degrees C. Tree trunks cracked.......Christmas was really frugal. There was no christmas tree, and it was really hard to get Holly Wafer. We didn't attend the Chritmas Mass either. The Christmas Eve was partially traditional as we didn't have 12 dishes. We had makielki, mushroom soup and cabbage with peas. We wished one another the war would be over........There were no presents under the christmas tree as there was no christmas tree.'
In the book 'Świadkowie historii - History witnesses' Wacław Wyszyński, who was sent to Germany during the war to work in a factory, describes Christmas Eve this way:
' Christmas of 1941- so different from that at home. Christmas Eve - but there is no Christmas Dinner, only sausage and potatoes. It is hard, but one has to eat. Yet, by the plates, there are tiny gifts, such as socks, handkerchiefs. At the same time it is my first winter in Germany and now I appreciate the advantage of having a double eiderdown.'
Aleksander Pawelec in his 'Wspomnienie z lat młodości i II wojny światowej - Recollection of juvenility and WW II' depicts Christmas during the war in the following way:
'Christmas of 1942 came. Christmas Dinner in polish homes was an opportunity to strenghten the religious cult, and Christmas itself a chance to meet the dearest and nearest and friends. With unheard- of affection and patriotism carols and religious songs were sung. Along with carols, war songs were heard. In some houses people plucked courage to sing Rota.'
Facing pain, suffering, humiliation and constant anguish Polish people at WWII were full of hope for the better future, which was the end of WWII and rebuilding their lives, cities, houses and values. Christmas was, undoubtedly, the time of reflection and a kind of detachment from cruel and bitter reality. They appear to have never given up their dreams of a free and independent country.
We, contemporaries, ought to always bear in mind and foster the memories and testimonies of those brave men. We shall build a better future and never forget what they were fighting for.
Małgorzata Olborska
Bibliography
1.Czesław Miłosz, Baśń Wigilijna, Ocalenie, Warszawa, Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza "Czytelnik",1845
2.Świadkowie Historii, Represje niemieckie wobec obywateli polskich w okresie II Wojny Światowej, Warszawa, Fundacja Polsko- Niemieckie Pojednanie, 2010
3. Zbigniew Chudy, Zbrodnie Niemieckie w Wieluniu w latach 1939-1945, Wrocław, Wydawnictwo Nortom, 2009
4. Aleksander Pawelec, Wspomnienie z lat młodości i II wojny światowej( 1934- 1945), Lututów- Gdynia- Pruszcz Gdański- Wieluń, Urząd Gminy w Lututowie, 2006
5. Pamiętniki znalezione w Katyniu , z przedmową Janusza Zawodnego, wydanie II rozszerzone, Editions Spotkania, Paris - Warszawa 1990.
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