| Polish Underground Press |
Street vendors had to sell only German language newspapers, as Polish papers were outlawed by the Nazis. An ingenious method was used to covertly distribute Polish newspapers in broad daylight. A subtle signal was made to Polish passersby indicating that a copy of a Polish newspaper was hidden between the pages of each German newspaper. Poles who would not otherwise by a German paper, did so on this occasion. Butchers and countless other shopkeepers would wrap up their customers' purchases with Polish newspaper hidden inside the wrapping. Waiters would slip small Polish newspapers under plates. And some Polish couriers would even risk the delivery of Polish newspapers directly to mailboxes. It was extremely risky, for to have been caught would have mean arrest, torture and death. The Germans were constantly on the man-hunt for the leaders and members of the Polish Underground. In order to bolster the Polish spirit, many of the newspapers contained some poetry, and classic or modern Polish literature. The powerful imagery used by Polish authors had a great influence on sustaining and strengthening Polish resolve and courage in the resistance against the Nazis. Numerous pamphlets were also printed, the most famous one entitled, " Golgotha " which described eyewitness accounts of German atrocities committed against the Jewish people at Auschwitz ( Oswiecim, in Polish) Books were mainly reprints of earlier publications, of if they were recent, were dated to the prewar era, so as not to provoke German reprisals. Everything that was prohibited by the Germans, the Polish classics, poetry, educational textbooks, prayer brooks, and military instruction manuals were secretly printed and made available to Poles. This massive undertaking was not meant solely for the dissemination of information to the Polish people, although it was a very important factor, but it represented a direct threat to the Germans that the Polish underground resistance was active, effective, and would never yield. The movement caused great concern for the Germans because they intensified their efforts to crack down on the leaders and members of the Polish Underground. Many were publicly executed, or hanged from the gallows, lamposts, or trees. Radio was also a powerful instrument in the hands of the Polish Underground. The radio and the press both provided the Polish people with a constant stream of information, and news. Many Poles would gather in small groups in soundproof attics, or cellars, or even small huts in the forest, to listen to secret radio broadcasts. They risked their lives to do so. The major sources of broadcasts were the London BBC, Boston WRUL, and Columbia WCBX ( New York). These " listeners " became the correspondents upon which the Polish newspapers relied for more information. SWIT was a radio station situated in London, but the nature of its news reports gave every impression that it was located in Poland. The Polish Underground was able to feed information to London so that broadcasts were made on events that had just occurred in Poland. Much of the news dealt with directives and warnings from the Directorate of Civil Resistance in Poland. It was a magnificent strategy to harass and frustrate the Germans, who could never find the location of this radio station. |
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