Kontakty ks. Józefa Styp Rekowskiego (1902–1969) ps. „Rodło” z wywiadem PRL w latach 1958–1963 Errata do biografii

Abstract

THE CONTACTS OF PRIEST JÓZEF STYP-REKOWSKI (1902–1969) (PSEUDONYM ‘RODŁO’) WITH THE SECRET INTELLIGENCE OF THE POLISH PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC IN 1958–1963: A BIOGRAPHICAL FOOTNOTE The situation of Polish people in Germany after the end of the Second World War has not been properly examined yet. The same is true for the Polish People’s Association in Germany ‘Rodło’ and its leaders. The article throws some light on the subject. The security forces of the Polish People’s Republic used civil intelligence to infiltrate the Polonia organizations in West Germany. The archives of the Institute of National Remembrance keep a file documenting such a case, namely that of priest Józef Styp-Rekowski, the former President of the Polish People’s Association in Germany ‘Rodło’. The case is interesting for two reasons. First, the intelligence was interested in the priest himself as he had lived in the Polish People’s Republic. The intelligence managed to trace some obscure pre-war documents which were used to embarrass the priest and thus to initiate collaboration. Second, the intelligence was interested in the priest’s contacts within the Polish-German diaspora, as well as in the Federal Republic of Germany. This dialogue is not only a little-known episode in the priest’s biography, but also proves that representatives of the Polish People’s Association in Germany ‘Rodło’ had contacts with the civil intelligence of the Polish People’s Republic.