Od wyzwolenia do zniewolenia. Krakowianie lat 1945–1947

Abstract

The years 1944/45–1947 are the key turning points in the history of Cracow. 1945 is the year of liberation from the Nazi occupation, and as such is related to the dreams of independent Poland. The city was not destroyed so the authorities had to deal with large numbers of newcomers, housing and provisioning problems as well as epidemics. Providing proper supplies was not easy. Communication was defective. Yet, Cracow tradition of spending free time floated above all problems. Family and social relations were rebuilt and new ones were cultivated. People strolled through the streets of the Old Town or through the walkways of the Planty Park, attended dance and festive parties even though they were already under the watchful eye of the authorities that were gradually taking over the control over the society. They crashed the opposition, threatened people, monopolized the power in the hands of the Communist party. New customs and duties that they imposed led to a strong polarization of social attitudes. Two standpoints developed – acceptance and negation. Those who accepted the state of affairs wanted to live normal lives, even with the Polish Worker’s Party in the background, while those who negated the reality openly manifested their aversion towards the authorities. The year 1947 is the end of the first phase of Stalinization, however, Cracow typicality is a kind of untypicality on the map of the People’s Republic of Poland. The Communists had great problems with imposing their authority in Cracow. It was here that the attitude of awareness and social resistance was not fully destroyed, and the customs that ruled the lives of the citizens were so firm that destroying them was a considerable problem for the Communists.