Przedmiotem przedstawianego tekstu jest działalność poznańskiego kontrwywiadu w uświadomieniu zagrożenia szpiegostwem ludności cywilnej na terenie województwa poznańskiego, a także rola, jaką odegrała prasa Poznańskiego w realizacji tego zadania. Temat szpiegostwa w prasie wielkopolskiej był niewątpliwie jednym z najczęściej poruszanych w okresie II Rzeczypospolitej. Na jego popularność wpływało nie tylko szerokie zainteresowanie czytelników. Rozrastający się rynek prasowy i coraz większa konkurencja na nim powodowały, że konieczność zdobycia uwagi czytelników wymuszała koncentrację na tematach wzbudzających zainteresowanie. Zamieszczano nawet krótkie, a niepozbawione sensacyjnych wątków informacje o aresztowaniach czy podejrzeniach o szpiegostwo. Odrębną zupełnie kwestią była współpraca prasy z poznańską „Dwójką”, która, dopuszczając zamieszczanie artykułów o szpiegach i szpiegostwie, prowadziła akcję uświadamiania obywateli o grożącym im niebezpieczeństwie. Symbioza prasy i służb specjalnych przyniosła równe korzyści obydwu stronom. Dla prasy zamieszczanie interesujących opinię publiczną informacji przekładało się na liczbę czytelników i nakład, a co za tym idzie także na zysk. Służby specjalne realizowały poprzez prasę swoje cele. Edukowanie społeczeństwa było tylko jednym z nich, ważniejsze z perspektywy realizowania operacji było odwrócenie uwagi od przeprowadzanych działań kontrwywiadowczych i kierowanie jej w stronę działalności obcych służb.

Spies and espionage in the Poznań press in the period 1918–1939

The subject of the article is the operation of counterintelligence in Poznań and its role in raising awareness of the danger of espionage among civilians in the Poznań region, as well as the role of Poznań press in fulfilling this task. The subject of espionage was undoubtedly one of the most frequently discussed in the Greater Poland press in the period of the Second Polish Republic. The reasons for its popularity lay not only in avid interest it aroused among the readers. The expanding press market and growing competition meant that newspapers had to draw readers’ attentions by concentrating on those subjects which the public found interesting. No matter how short the pieces information about the arrests or the suspicion of espionage were, their sensational character meant they were published. The cooperation between the press and the Poznań counterintelligence which, by allowing the press to publish articles on spies and espionage, raised awareness among the citizens on the possible dangers, is a whole separate issue. The collaboration between the press and special services was mutually beneficial. The press printed articles that were interesting from the point of view of the public, which was then reflected in the number of readers and circulation, as well as financial profit. Special services achieved their own goals. Educating the society was only one of them. From the point of view of their operations, drawing attention away from the activity of counterintelligence and towards the operation of foreign services remained more important.

The subject of the article is the operation of counterintelligence in Poznań and its role in raising awareness of the danger of espionage among civilians in the Poznań region, as well as the role of Poznań press in fulfilling this task. The subject of espionage was undoubtedly one of the most frequently discussed in the Greater Poland press in the period of the Second Polish Republic. The reasons for its popularity lay not only in avid interest it aroused among the readers. The expanding press market and growing competition meant that newspapers had to draw readers’ attentions by concentrating on those subjects which the public found interesting. No matter how short the pieces information about the arrests or the suspicion of espionage were, their sensational character meant they were published. The cooperation between the press and the Poznań counterintelligence which, by allowing the press to publish articles on spies and espionage, raised awareness among the citizens on the possible dangers, is a whole separate issue. The collaboration between the press and special services was mutually beneficial. The press printed articles that were interesting from the point of view of the public, which was then reflected in the number of readers and circulation, as well as financial profit. Special services achieved their own goals. Educating the society was only one of them. From the point of view of their operations, drawing attention away from the activity of counterintelligence and towards the operation of foreign services remained more important.