Radosław Kurek

Roman Romkowski’s amnesty: The role of an assistant to the minister of public security in the preparation, execution and evaluation of the 1947 amnesty

The article presents the significant influence of Colonel Roman Romkowski (an assistant to the minister in the Ministry of Public Security) on the organization and course of the amnesty, which was announced in Poland shortly after the elections in 1947. The hidden purpose of the amnesty was elimination of the independence underground, the greatest enemy of the communists in Poland. In order to accomplish this task, Romkowski had to implement special working methods in the public security services. They made it possible to obtain information on a large number of exposed underground soldiers and subject them to strict invigilation by the security service. Despite Romkowski’s critical assessment of the final results of the amnesty, it was considered a great success.

The Beginnings of ohe Career of a Cracovian Communist on the Example of the Life of Menasche Grünspan (Roman Romkowski) in the Years 1907-1930

The article presents the beginnings of the political career of Roman Romkowski (born Menasche Grünspan), one of the most influential Communists in the public security services of the Polish People’s Republic and the deputy minister in the Ministry of Public Security. He was born in 1907 in Cracow to a poor Jewish working-class family. Most probably, he took his first steps in the direction of the Communist movement under the influence of his elder siblings. At first, he was active within the trade unions and the Poale Zion Left. In 1924 he became a member of the Communist Youth Association (ZMK) in Poland. In the Cracow Regional Committee of ZMK, he was in charge of the so-called technology, the secretary of one of the district units of ZMK, and (in 1927 and 1930) President of the Cracow Committee. He was repeatedly arrested and tried for his involvement. In 1930 he was sent to study in Moscow, which opened a new stage of his political career.