Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 77. (Budapest, 1976)

TANULMÁNYOK - Kapronczay Károly: A lengyel menekültügy orvosi ellátása és szervezete Magyarországon a második világháború alatt, 1939—1945 (angol nyelven)

Behind these openly working organizations there existed a secret centre of resistance. It played an important role in the underground resistance operating in Poland, e. g. by providing lines of communication (a courier service) with the Allies in the West. This work had its own dangers, as the Hungarian counter-espionage organization was infiltrated by the Germans. German interest centred mainly on the Polish military camps of internment, which carried on recruiting and training work for the Polish armies fighting with the Allies. The most important legal organization was the Polish Civilian Committee. Its main task was to help the IXth Department. When in the autumn of 1939 the Social Department of the Ministry of the Interior and other Hungarian organizations were flooded by thousands of Polish requests and petitions the idea arose that the Polish emigration should form an organ that would deal with their own affairs, would give comment on the decisions of the Hungarian authorities and would submit them recommendations.

1

1 The Committee had close links with the exiled government and was recognized as its official representative in Hungary. The head of the Committee was Henryk Slawik, a journalist from Silesia, who played an important role in the direction of the secret resistence centre, too. He was an excellent organizer, a well-known Social Democrat, his selection was in accordance with the growing role of the Social Democratic Party in the Government-in-Exile. His person was strongly objected to by the Pilsudskiite wing of the refugees, who did not agree with the policy of the government in London. Another important organization was the Representation of Interned Polish Soldiers in the Kingdom of Hungary ( Predstawicielstwo Polskich Zolnierzy Inter now anych w Królestwie Wegier), which worked under the 21st Department of the Hungarian Ministry of Defence. It represented the interests of the Polish soldiers before the Hungarian military authorities and took part in running the camps of the military prisoners. At first it was headed by Colonel Steifer, who, on the order of the Government in London, was succeeded by Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Król. The relieve an be explained b the fact that Steifer had too close connections with the older officers of the Hungarian Army, who had been his comrades-in-arms in the one-time AustroHungarian Army, and that he was attached to the Pilsudskiite organization of the military camp at Eger, from which Prime Minister Sikorski and his government dissociated themselves. The secret resistance centre, working behind these open organisations, was formed in December 1939 and it had representatives in each military and civilian camp.

15 published books and newspapers as well. Tts publications included Wiesci Polski, Tygodnik Polski, Materialy Obozow and Nasze Szwietlicowe Materialy, the papers of the emigration. Of these the most popular was Wiesci Polski, one of whose editors was Winiewicz, later a deputy foreign minister of Poland. The other publications were textbooks for the Polish schools, Polish literary works, Hungarian novels translated into Polish, dictionaries, Hungarian language-teaching books. " O. L. B. M. IX. ügyoszt. iratai. 4024. tétel. Tábori listák, fizetési jegyzékek. (Lists of payments from the camps.) 15 Nowak, Op. cit. pp. 88 — 90.