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The Association of Polish Refugees (ZPU)

The history of the organisation began immediately after the Second World War when many Poles were still in the western occupation zones of Germany. They were particularly made up of former concentration camp inmates, forced labourers and prisoners of war, colloquially known as DPs (Displaced Persons). Once they had regained their freedom they began to structure their social, institutional and political life. Since there was a vital need for a central organisation to represent all Polish interests, in 1946 it was decided to set up an association entitled Zjednoczenie Polskich Uchodźców w Niemczech (ZPU). The new organisation arose from a merger of smaller associations and was a kind of institutional representation, a Polish parliament in Germany. At the same time, however, its further work was influenced by various parties and groups, and this was marked by contentiousness, internal disputes and many crises. Ultimately, the association was unable to cope with the many conflicts of interest and consequently disintegrated. This condition prevailed until the beginning of the fifties.

The former headquarters of the ZPU in Velbert and the office of the central ZPU board of management. This is where Kazimierz Odrobny and Witold Szwabowicz lived. It was also the headquarters of the League of Ukrainian Refugees.

Łukasz Wolak, 2016

The most important feature of the new association was to stand up for independence. From its foundation until its dissolution, this was demonstrated by the fact that the executive board recognised the authority of the Polish government in exile in London. This was shown by a letter from the members of the Association Council to August Zaleski, the President of the Republic of Poland in exile in London, which highlighted the organisation's work in the service of independence and its commitment to the legal exile government. Accordingly, all activist links to the Warsaw government were considered hostile and inconsistent with the organisation's activities. Among the most important statements in the association's statutes were the goals of the organisation:

“§2 a) The aim of the association is to organise and represent Poles living in the Federal Republic of Germany and to support them morally and materially, §2 b) in this context, the activities of the association are particularly expressed in the organisation of legal advice, help for self-help, in giving employment advice to its members and in caring for their religious, national and cultural needs, §2 c) the association monitors the Polish organisations existing in the (German) area, and cooperates with the trades unions.”.[1]

During its existence, the ZPU was involved in activities against the People's Republic of Poland. These included providing assistance to starving Poles who were convicted of incidents in Poznań in 1956, and later supporting protests against the USSR. The participants in the first meeting of the ZPU Council decided to make its headquarters in Höxter. After Kazimierz Odrobny was elected chairman of the association, the headquarters were moved to Velbert in 1954.

The statute established the main council (Rada Główna) as the highest organ of the ZPU. This committee was later renamed the Association Council (Rada Stowarzyszenia). In addition, the articles of association contained statements on the objectives, membership and the organs of the association (association council, executive committee, district board of directors, audit committee, etc.). After the foundation of the ZPU, all existing Polish associations were dissolved. These included Zjednoczenie Polskie w Niemczech, ZP for short, (the Polish Association in Deutschland), Zjednoczenie Polskie strefy amerykańskiej (the Polish Association in the American occupying zone), Zjednoczenie Polskie w Bawarii (the Polish Association in Bavaria), Zrzeszenie Ośrodków Polskich w Wirtembergii i Badenii (the Association of Polish Centres in Württemberg and Baden), Zrzeszenie Polaków w Bawarii (the Association of Poles in Bavaria), Zjednoczenie Polskie strefy francuskiej (the Polish Association in the French occupying zone, Zjednoczenie Polskie strefy brytyjskiej (the Polish Association in the British occupying zone) and Fundusz Polski, FP for short (the Polish Fund). Nonetheless the latter expressed a wish to stay in existence, not as an organisation but as a disability fund with no claim to represent any Polish circles.

[1] The statutes of the association “Zjednoczenie Polskich Uchodźców w Niemczech” [1955] - from the inventory in the Department of Studies on Polish Emigrants in Germany after 1945 at the Historical Institute of the University of Wrocław (Pracownia Badań nad Polską Emigracją w Niemczech po 1945 r. w Instytucie Historycznym Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego).