Selected records of the Voivodship Office of Silesia in Katowice Urząd Wojewódzki Śląski w Katowicach (Sygn. 185)

Copyright Holder: Naczelna Dyrekcja Archiwów Państwowych The Urząd Wojewódzki Śląski w Katowicach (Silesian Voivodship Office in Katowice) undertook its activity on the basis of a decree of the Polski Komitet Wyzwolenia Narodowego (Polish Committee of National Liberation) from August 21, 1944 on the procedure of appointing the authorities of the general administration of the first and second instance, in January 1945. The internal organization of the reactivated Voivodeship Office of Silesia referred to the organization of the Office, operating until 1939, established on the basis of the Regulation of the President of the Republic of Poland of 19 January 1928 on the organization and scope of action of the general administration authorities and the Regulation of the Minister of Internal Affairs of August 15, 1951 on the organization of provincial offices and the procedure for handling cases in these offices. This organization was gradually adapted to the new political conditions and issues that had to be dealt with. Selected records of the Urząd Wojewódzki Śląski w Katowicach (Voivodship Office of Silesia in Katowice) related to complicated socio-political situation in Silesia after World War II: General and political situational reports, correspondence, regulations, registers, leaflets, appeals, and newspaper cllipings. It contains reports on the political and security situation in Katowice districts, such as terrorist acts, robberies, rapes on women by members of the Red Army stationed in Silesia, the strike in the Jowisz mine in Wojkowice Komornych, and strike in the Radzionków mine, Volksdeutsch matters, German diversionary activities in the Silesia territories, they also provide guidelines for the fieldwork of the Polski Związek Zachodni. Includes also correspondence, circular letters, and announcements regarding the registration of war damages, registration of new identity cards, assaults by band German partisans, registration of conscripts, national land reform and support for rejection of the Marshall Plan, repatriation of Germans, transfer of materials about German criminals, their victims, information about places of mass extermination and religious matters, temporary settlement of religious matters of the Jewish population, liquidation of Jewish Zionist organizations, registration of rabbis, and permission for Jews to establish Religious Associations. Includes also anti-communist leaflets and appeals issued by illegal organizations: Komitet Ruchu Oporu, Śląski Naczelny Komitet „Walki o Wolność”, Młody Las, Piastowska Rzeczpospolita Polska, as well as regulations of the Voivodship Office regarding the fight against anti-communist activities.The collection contains also records of victims of Nazi crimes, places of mass extermination, lists on German criminals, registers of invalids, widows and orphans of the Second World War.