(Title in polish: Tęsknota za
Siedlcami : opowieść o dziewczynce, której ojca zamordowano /
Agnieszka Chrzanowska ; opracowanie: Witold Okniński)
http://www.apsiedlce.nazwa.pl/art,101,tesknota-za-siedlcami
(WJW)
Recently, while searching for some information on the
website of the National Archives chapter in Siedlce, I spotted a
recent publication – the name of the author(ess) sounded very
familiar and brought back wonderful memories of my childhood in
Siedlce, before the outbreak of the war. I asked Pawel to buy
the book for me.
Couple of days later,
unexpectedly arrived from him a picture – it is shown here.-
Agnieszka and Waldemar at a X-mas party!
Christmas, live flickering candles on the Christmas tree,
freshly from the nearby forest, still very fragrant, first star
in the sky, caroling with the family, Santa Claus rung the bell
(and was gone, in a hurry, by the time we made it to the door).
Opening the gifts! Christmas supper with customary 12 dishes,
again caroling and playing with new toys. Then, before midnight,
walking the city streets through tunnels in deep snow, frosty,
sparkling! To attend the midnight Mass. Inside the cathedral,
crowds spilling to the outside stairs – again, thundering sounds
of the organs and caroling crowd. Then home - to sleep, waking
up with excitement – to play again with the new toys.
Celebration
of Christmas was preceded by special parties, in particular for
the children. Small children and young adults, nowadays, miss a
lot of wonderful memories with the contemporary tendency to turn
away from old customs and traditions and the disappearance of
spiritual life – and nothing, or not much, to replace them, what
a pity!
Agnieszka’s father was a well-known attorney in town, active
during the war in the Polish Underground, fighting the Nazis -
he survived. But one night in 1945, after the “fraternal
liberation” from the East, he was arrested, interrogated,
tortured, condemned to death and disappeared without a trace
into the Soviet Russia. Agnieszka and her mother never heard
from him or of him and… never saw him again!
Our
(WJW) Family had the same experiences – several members died at
German hands, fighting - (the enemy were NAZIS – National
Socialists) – facing the enemy. But, more died at the
hands of Russians and Soviets – “friends and liberators”, (Communists
- Democratic Socialists) – at night or by a shot in the back
of the head – sneaky and treacherous!
Some thoughts from the comparisons are
unavoidable!
NAZIS – National
Socialists were facing their opponents, attacking, fighting!
Were predictable in hating and annihilating their victims.
SOVIETS – Democratic Socialists were coming for their
victims in the middle of the night and then shooting in the back
of the head, sneaky and cowardly!
The same attitudes prevail (now and here) among contemporary
liberals, progressives, socialists and communists. Be on alert!
http://bazhum.muzhp.pl/media//files/Wieki_Stare_i_Nowe/Wieki_Stare_i_Nowe-r2014-t7(12)/Wieki_Stare_i_Nowe-r2014-t7(12)-s97-125/Wieki_Stare_i_Nowe-r2014-t7(12)-s97-125.pdf
A picture from the Family collection (probably Christmas 1938,
party in a nursery?)
Agnieszka and Waldemar with other children, several of them,
youngest, in the front two rows, are children of friends of our
family (Basia Janicka, Agnieszka Chrzanowska, Marysia Grauman,
Edyta Piotrowska, Wiesio and Mirek Prochniewicz (and other?)
http://mazowsze.hist.pl/33/Szkice_Podlaskie/700/2002/24644/
http://mazowsze.hist.pl/33/Szkice_Podlaskie/708/2009/24894/
http://www.polowanie.siedlce.pl/historia.html
http://mbp.siedlce.pl/UserFiles/ezbiory/zycie_podlasia/1936/ZP_1936_33.pdf
23-05-2024
12-03-2012
