Glossary: communist Poland through one life

These entries are not encyclopedia definitions. Each says what an acronym or term meant in one man's life and points to the sources and to the article where we write about it at more length.

WiN — Freedom and Independence Association

An underground organisation founded on 2 September 1945. According to biographies by the IPN and the Encyklopedia Solidarności, Studziński joined it in 1945 as a secondary-school pupil — he was not yet fourteen.

Sources: Wikipedia: WiN; IPN, Przystanek Historia; Encyklopedia Solidarności · More: The youth underground

Youth underground (konspiracja młodzieżowa)

Clandestine organisations of young people, mostly secondary-school pupils, after 1945. According to an internal Ministry of the Interior report cited by Elwira J. Kryńska, the authorities uncovered 491 of them, with about 6,340 members; most were active in 1949–1953 and most lasted two years at most. Studziński was deputy commander of the „Orzeł Biały” (White Eagle; „Biały Orzeł” in the IPN files) organisation in the Radom district.

Sources: E. J. Kryńska (Univ. of Białystok); IPN, Przystanek Historia; Encyklopedia Solidarności; IPN Kr 010/6699; IPN Ki 013/1506 · More: The youth underground

WUBP — Provincial Office of Public Security

The provincial branch of the communist security apparatus. The WUBP in Kielce conducted the investigation against Studziński; its files from 1950–1954 are held by the IPN (ref. IPN Ki 013/1506).

Source: IPN Ki 013/1506 · More: The youth underground

WSR — District Military Court

A military court. The case of Studziński — a civilian and a former secondary-school pupil — was heard by the District Military Court in Kielce, which on 19 April 1951, sitting in Radom, sentenced him, aged nineteen, to ten years in prison for membership of an illegal organisation (Article 86 § 2 of the Polish Army Criminal Code) and illegally keeping weapons (Article 4 § 1 of the decree of 13 June 1946).

Sources: IPN, Przystanek Historia; Encyklopedia Solidarności; IPN Ki 8/1001 · More: The youth underground

Central Prison in Rawicz

The name of the prison in Rawicz from 1945 to 1964. After the war the communist authorities held many members of the independence underground there; it was a high-security prison to which juvenile political prisoners were also sent. Studziński served his sentence here and was released in February 1955.

Sources: IPN Po 681/55; Wikipedia: Rawicz prison; E. J. Kryńska (Univ. of Białystok); IPN, Przystanek Historia; Encyklopedia Solidarności · More: Rawicz prison

Juvenile political prisoners

In December 1951 there were 2,347 juvenile political prisoners in Polish prisons, and 1,327 in January 1954 (figures by Krzysztof Szwagrzyk, cited by Elwira J. Kryńska). They were sent, among other places, to Rawicz, Wronki, Sztum, Strzelce Opolskie and Fordon.

Source: E. J. Kryńska (Univ. of Białystok) · More: Rawicz prison

Amnesties of 1952 and 1956

The amnesty act of 22 November 1952 reduced, among other things, prison sentences of more than three years by one third — most probably it took effect when Studziński was released in February 1955 (his biographies speak of a conditional release “under an amnesty”, although no amnesty was declared in 1955). Political prisoners were released from Rawicz after the amnesty of 27 April 1956.

Sources: Amnesty Act 1952; Wikipedia: amnesties; IPN, Przystanek Historia; Encyklopedia Solidarności; Wikipedia: Rawicz prison · More: Rawicz prison

SB — Security Service

The communist Security Service. It watched Studziński from 1974, initially because of his activity in the Catholic Intelligentsia Club; he was detained many times, his house was searched and his typewriters were confiscated on several occasions. According to the IPN historian Cecylia Kuta, the security service “never broke him”.

Sources: IPN, Przystanek Historia; Encyklopedia Solidarności · More: ROPCiO 1977

KOR — Workers' Defence Committee

It began its work with an appeal of 23 September 1976, after the workers' protests in Radom and Ursus in June 1976. Studziński, by then a legal adviser, gave legal aid from June 1976 to persecuted workers and from the autumn worked with the Intervention Bureau of Zofia and Zbigniew Romaszewski.

Sources: Wikipedia: KOR; Encyklopedia Solidarności; IPN, Przystanek Historia · More: ROPCiO 1977

ROPCiO — Movement for the Defence of Human and Civic Rights

A movement launched on 25 March 1977 with an “Appeal to Polish Society” signed by 18 people — Studziński among them. Its main periodical was „Opinia”; Studziński sat on its Advisory Council and from the autumn of 1978 headed ROPCiO's Social Assistance Bureau.

Sources: IPN, Przystanek Historia; Encyklopedia Solidarności · More: ROPCiO 1977

Second circulation (drugi obieg)

The name used in communist Poland for the independent publishing movement that printed books and periodicals without the censor's approval. The Museum of Free Speech maintains a bibliography of books published this way in 1976–1989; W lochach socjalizmu is listed in it.

Source: Museum of Free Speech · More: The underground press and „Kurs”

Solidarity (NSZZ „Solidarność”)

In 1980–1981 about ten million people belonged to it. In the autumn of 1980 Studziński joined the Intervention and Rule of Law Commission of Solidarity in the Mazowsze region.

Sources: IPN; Encyklopedia Solidarności; IPN, Przystanek Historia · More: ROPCiO 1977

Internment (13 December 1981)

On 13 December 1981, when martial law was declared, Studziński was interned. His record is in ‘Polskie miesiące’, the internee database kept by the Institute of National Remembrance.

Sources: Encyklopedia Solidarności; IPN, Przystanek Historia; IPN internee database · More: ROPCiO 1977

Wydawnictwo „Kurs” (the „Kurs” publishing house)

An underground publisher founded in the autumn of 1983 by Stanisław Michalkiewicz and Marian Miszalski. It published 40 issues of the monthly „Kurs” and books — 26 titles according to P. Sztąberek's list, 29 according to the Museum of Free Speech. In 1988, a year after the author's death, it published W lochach socjalizmu.

Sources: P. Sztąberek; Wikipedia: S. Michalkiewicz; Museum of Free Speech: Kurs; National Library of Poland; Museum of Free Speech · More: The underground press and „Kurs”

Order of Polonia Restituta

In 2006 Studziński was posthumously awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

Source: Monitor Polski · More: Poland's success

IPN — Institute of National Remembrance

It holds the files of Studziński's investigation and trial (refs. IPN Ki 013/1506 and Ki 8/1001–1002) and has published his biography on its Przystanek Historia website.

Sources: IPN Ki 013/1506; IPN Ki 8/1001; IPN, Przystanek Historia · More: The youth underground

Last updated: 5 October 2026