Józef Piłsudski in German prisons

Piłsudski and Sosnkowski during their internment in the Magdeburg Fortress, 1918
Piłsudski and Sosnkowski during their internment in the Magdeburg Fortress, 1918

Meanwhile the revolution was also raging in Magdeburg and communications with other parts of Germany were in danger of being severed. Everything happened in a rush. The two Poles only had time to take what they needed. Their remaining belongings were later to be forwarded to them (the manuscript of the book "My First Battles" did not reach Piłsudski until 1924). The liberated prisoners and Count Kessler were picked up in a car by Major Paul van Gülpen, then head of transport. In his report on the event published in 1936, van Gülpen presumably concealed the role of Kessler, because Kessler was no longer welcome in the Third Reich after his exile in 1933 or because he wanted to emphasize his own contribution in releasing the leading icon of the neighbouring country.

It was difficult for anyone to get into the fortress, and here a resolute and courageous female stenographer accompanying van Gülpen, proved to be extremely helpful.

"The streets were full of angry crowds," recalled van Gülpen. "The stenographer, who tried to lead the vehicle over the river bridge to the citadel, pressed a few pieces of cloth to the car and screamed as if her skin had been burnt off: Move over, move over! We're on our way to the citadel to free political prisoners!"

After meticulous preparation, van Gülpen received permission from the military authorities to travel by car from Magdeburg to Berlin (no train journey was possible because of the revolution). He had spare wheels and firearms with him in his Audi, and the spare wheels in particular were to prove their worth. Travellers often had to stop and change their "war wheels" because they were so poor in quality. Van Gülpen recalled the episode as follows:

"During the journey Piłsudski was given the chance of discovering the glamour and misery of being a motorist. At the time pneumatic tyres were only available as surrogates in Germany, and tyres were said to be filled with a mush of rotten potatoes. As long as they didn't heat up it was very comfortable, but as soon as your speed exceeded 40 km/h, the heat swelled the mash, causing the tyres to burst. The car immediately came to a halt, leaving stinking potato pancakes lying around in the road over the last twenty metres. When such an accident happened in the middle of a village, dogs would run out from all directions and throw themselves on the burnt potato remains, before uttering howls of pain and running away with burnt mouths."

On the way the travellers had a morning break in the small town of Genthin, before arriving in Berlin on the evening of 8th November where they made a brief stop at van Gülpen's apartment at Reichstrasse 9 for cognac and an entry in the guest book. Here the etiquette of the aristocratic pre-revolutionary world, in which officers, even among enemies, were initially gentlemen, still applied. The former prisoners then moved into an apartment on the first floor of the luxurious Hotel Continental in Neustädtische Kirchstrasse.

Media library
  • Flyer: Piłsudski's Return to Warsaw, 1918

    Flyer: Piłsudski's Return to Warsaw, 1918
  • Józef Piłsudski and Kazimierz Sosnkowski, 1914

    Commander Józef Piłsudski accompanied by his friend Kazimierz Sosnkowski during their internment in 1914.
  • Flyer: The Regency Council hands Józef Piłsudski the command of the Polish armed forces, 1918

    Flyer: The Regency Council hands Józef Piłsudski the command of the Polish armed forces, 1918
  • Flyer: Commander Piłsudski spends his “name day” in a German prison, 1918

    Flyer: Commander Piłsudski spends his “name day” in a German prison, 1918
  • Flyer to protest against the illegal internment of Piłsudski, 1917

    Flyer: On Sunday 29th of this month we will gather in front of the Adam Mickiewicz Monument at 11 am to protest against the illegal internment of Commander Józef Piłsudski and Chief of Staff of the Fi...
  • Title page of the memoirs of Józef Piłsudski, 1925

    Title page: Józef Piłsudski, Moje pierwsze boje. Wspomnienia spisane w twierdzy magdeburskiej (My First Battles. Memoirs written in the Magdeburg Fortress ), Warszawa: "Bibljoteka Polska", 1925 (Bydgo...
  • Józef Piłsudski and Sosnkowski during their internment in the Magdeburg Fortress, 1918

    Józef Piłsudski and Sosnkowski during their internment in the Magdeburg fortress, 1918
  • The Spandau Fortress Prison

    The Spandau Fortress Prison
  • The main gate of the Citadel in Wesel

    The main gate of the citadel in Wesel, seen from the town side.
  • Title page of the “Kurier Warszawski”, 10th November 1918

    Title page of the “Kurier Warszawski”, 10th November 1918. Powrót komendanta Piłsudskiego (The Return of Commander Piłsudski), special supplement, No. 311, 10.11.1918.
  • The House in the Magdeburg Fortress

    The house in the Magdeburg Fortress where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • The House in the Magdeburg Fortress

    The house in the Magdeburg Fortress where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • A partial view of the Magdeburg Fortress

    A partial view of the Magdeburg Fortress.
  • A plan of the Magdeburg Fortress

    A plan of the Magdeburg Fortress with the house (circled in red),where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Restaurant Hiller in Berlin

    Restaurant Hiller in Berlin
  • A Caricature of Marshal Józef Piłsudski, 1927

    In: Gustaw Rogalski, Album karykatur 1914-1928 Marszałka J. Piłsudskiego: na pamiątkę dziesięciolecia 1918-1928 niepodległości Polski (Caricatures Album of Marshal J. Piłsudski 1914-1928: to celebrate...
  • The House in the Magdeburg Fortress

    The house in the Magdeburg Fortress where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • The House in the Magdeburg Fortress

    The house in the Magdeburg Fortress.
  • The House in the Magdeburg Fortress

    The House in the Magdeburg Fortress.
  • The House in the Magdeburg Fortress

    The House in the Magdeburg Fortress.
  • The House in the Magdeburg Fortress

    The House in the Magdeburg Fortress.
  • The inside of the house in Magdeburg

    The inside of the house in Magdeburg where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • The inside of the house in Magdeburg

    The inside of the house in Magdeburg.
  • Polish guests at the house in the Magdeburg Fortress, where Józef Piłsudski was interned.

    Polish guests at the house in the Magdeburg Fortress, where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Polish guests at the house in the Magdeburg Fortress, where Józef Piłsudski was interned.

    Polish guests at the house in the Magdeburg Fortress, where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Polish guests at the house in Magdeburg where Józef Piłsudski was interned.

    Polish guests at the house in Magdeburg where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Certificate of delivery of the Piłsudski House, 1937

    Certificate of delivery of the Piłsudski House, 1937.
  • Demolition of the house where Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Piłsudski was interned.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Abriss des Piłsudski-Hauses in Magdeburg

    Abriss des Piłsudski-Hauses in Magdeburg.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • The Magdeburg House in the Belvedere Park in Warsaw, 1939

    The Magdeburg House in the Belvedere Park in Warsaw where Józef Piłsudski was interned, 1939.
  • Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg

    Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg.
  • Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg

    Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg.
  • Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg

    Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg.
  • Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg

    Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg.
  • Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg

    Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg.
  • On the way from Magdeburg to Berlin the travelers made a short break in the city Genthin for a breakfast.

    On the way from Magdeburg to Berlin the travelers made a short break in the city Genthin for a breakfast.
  • Gedenktafel an der ersten Wohnstätte in Warschau

    Gedenktafel an der ersten Wohnstätte in Warschau ab 10. November 1918
  • Gedenktafel an der ersten Wohnstätte in Warschau

    Gedenktafel an der ersten Wohnstätte in Warschau ab 10. November 1918
  • Józef Piłsudski - Hörspiel von "COSMO Radio po polsku" auf Deutsch

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