III powstanie śląskie we wspomnieniach porucznik Leopoldyny Staweckiej

Abstract

Leopoldyna Stawecka (1896–1933) was one of many volunteers, who went to Upper Silesia immediately after hearing about the beginning of the Third Silesian Uprising, to take part in the fight. In the time of fights for the borders of the Second Polish Republic Leopoldyna Stawecka, who belonged to the Voluntary Legion of Women, took part in the defence of Lvov (1918/1919) and she also fought in the Polish-Soviet War at Vilnius and Warsaw. Year 1921 was for Leopoldyna Stawecka time of deep internal crisis; the crisis was caused by various reasons such as: the end of the fights and withdrawing of feminine divisions from the direct fight, loss of trust to many close people and family problems connected with her husband captain A. Popkowski.Leopoldyna Stawecka took part in the Third Silesian Uprising where she was a manager of so called a sanitary provision unit. Emotions and feelings coming from that period are described in her diary which one piece is printed below. She was offended by lack of discipline in fighting units, dishonesty and waste of gifts sent from the whole Poland, as well as getting a soldier’s pay for a lofty idea of fight for the country. She refused to accept the soldier’s pay for the time when she fought in Upper Silesia. In the time of the Third Silesian Uprising in Upper Silesia Capt. Józef Popkowski came; he wanted to force his wife to come back home. He did not succeed and the Silesian Uprising became the background of their final break. Leopoldyna Stawecka’s memoirs are one of few documents which describe uprisings from a very personal, feminine perspective.