Personal evidence and Lemko kennkarta are any of the archival materials that can be found in the archives. They describe people who had to abandon their fatherhood in the postwar period. They lived in 1 place, then they ran around the planet in different directions. Further in 1 place and in 1 collection only their recognition papers remained. Today, they can supply a wonderful origin of cognition about our ancestors.
Two occupations: German and Soviet, the crimes in Volyn and the activities of the Ukrainian Insurgency Army (UPA), “the Order of Yalta”, border changes, repatriations, evacuations, deportations, infamous action “Wisła”. How complicated and painful experiences were the participation of Poles and Ukrainians between 1939 and 1945 and unfortunately long after planet War II. Much has been written, and quite a few publications will surely be written.
Polish and Ukrainian historians argue about the motives of actions, the number of murdered and victims, discuss the relevance of the words "evacuation" and "deportion". Let us leave, however, a large story, which was surely the force behind many administrative strict actions. Let's take a look at the papers that are left of the people, the photographs that possibly our ancestors look at us from. This time we talk about people surviving in the Nowo Sądecki territory and parts of neighbouring districts. People who were or were considered Ukrainians or Lemkos.
National Archives in KrakowPersonal evidence of Lemkos: nationality
In the National Archives in Krakow, the band files no. 29/704 have been preserved. Representative of the territory Interim Government for Evacuation in Nowy Sącz. The band doesn't have their own files. On the another hand, the papers held by the population from the Nowo Sądecki territory during and after the German business were preserved. Issued by the administration of ‘Kennkarts’ and ‘Arbeitsbuuchy’, i.e. German identity cards and workbooks, after the war the population seeking fresh identity cards had to give to the Polish authorities. Unfortunately, she besides had to return the recently exhibited ones very rapidly – for even more fresh ones already issued by the russian Union and Ukrainian SRR. Each of the returned papers was stamped with the stamp “FORCEED”. any of Kennkart or Polish proofs were besides deprived of photographs – in hard and mediocre post-war reality they were surely utilized to produce fresh identity documents.
Nothing special, especially in the 20th century, is the fact that all man has an identity card. It lists the most crucial individual data and any basic information, especially about our external appearance (shown usually through photography). The deeper into history, the more this data was: in individual evidence there was information about the civilian status, the offspring, religion, nationality, or profession (educated, executed, held).
National Archives in KrakowIt was no different during the occupation. Germany issued ‘Kennkarts’ (exploratory cards), which is simply to say – individual evidence, to the general population in the General Government. Kennkarts had markings related to belonging to a peculiar cultural or cultural group. Kennkarts with the letter ‘U’, Poles with the letter ‘P’, Belarusians with the letter ‘W’, Jews with the letter ‘J’, Gypsies with the letter ‘Z’ were issued to the Lemkos considered Ukrainians. It is this letter, on each of the respective 1000 Kennkart that determines the nationality of the population and speaks more than a description. Kennkarts with the letter "U" were drawn in 3 languages – basic German and Ukrainian and Polish. After this fact, it can be seen that it was not apparent that all those qualified by the Germans as Ukrainians of people utilized Ukrainian.
Declaration of origin
In archival materials, the applications of the Lemko people for Kennkart edition were besides preserved. The applications were written on appropriate German forms. They were usually accompanied by birth certificates made in various languages: Latin, Polish, Ukrainian or German. In addition, even in this respect, German policy has left its mark. 1 more paper – entitled Declaration in place of oath (no. EidesstattlicheVersicherungen). The paper was written in 2 languages (German and Polish) and was a written declaration that you are not judaic within the meaning of German law. Declared: After careful consideration, I am not aware of any circumstances that could justify the supposition that, according to the 1st and 2nd Regulation of the Meaning of the Meaning of the Concept of "Jew" in the General Government of 24.7.1940, I am Jewish. The following part of the paper gives a detailed explanation of who is considered a Jew. The message was filed under punishment under §156 of the Criminal Law for the German Reich of 15 May 1871. Perjury was punishable by imprisonment from 1 period to 3 years. In this peculiar case, it seems that it was worth the lie – despite all codes, the destiny of the judaic population was doomed.
National Archives in KrakowIt is worth looking at the photographs themselves. So many papers make us represent people of different ages and education. Regional outfits – embroidered embroidery, shirts, scarves are especially important. Despite the fact that these areas were mediocre and lying on the border, we see arrogant looks, especially conscious of their cultural diversity of Lemko and Lemkin. Next to the photo, there's fingerprints on the ID or Kennkarta. At the place of signature, 3 crosses can be observed carefully, though with large difficulty. People who were written signed sometimes with a very crafted kind of writing, sometimes seditious, almost childish. It besides shows what percent of this population utilized the Russian alphabet.
When power changed in 1945, fresh Polish identity cards were issued. erstwhile again, it was essential to apply for an identity card. As a rule, only the German paper was given and issued, sometimes a copy of the metric or additional papers was added. While we have an apparent nationality in the Kennkarts of Germany, Rusin was written in Polish, sometimes in brackets it was clarified – Lemek.
Collection 29/704 The territory typical of the Provisional Government for Evacuation in Nowy Sącz has a full of 87 archival units. Each contains up to 100 papers – kenkart, identity cards arranged geographically according to the locality and alphabetically according to the names of their holders. Kennkarts concern the population from many localities, starting with the village of Jaworki, Szlachtov, White and Black Water, through Labova, fresh Village, Muschina, advanced Roztoki, Bogusz and many, many more. Most are from Krynica-Zdrój and Słotwin (a fewer 100 pieces).
Personal evidence of Lemkos: workbooks
Quantitatively, the collection is very crucial – it is 4,700 German reconnaissance cards issued to people of Ukrainian nationality, including Lemkos residing in the Kraków province. All these papers belonged to people who were evacuated from 1945 to 1946 or more accurately – displaced into russian Ukraine. In addition, a collection of about 3,000 applications for the release of Kennnkart, directed by the Lemkos to the German administration of the then Kreish Neu-Sandez, i.e. the equivalent of the Polish territory of Nowo Sądecki, has been preserved. Among the applicants, we will find farmers, Greek Catholic and Orthodox clergymen, housewives, students and teachers. The files contain individual surveys (printed in Latin in a language that is simply a mixture of Ukrainian and Lemko bran) together with attachments (e.g. birth and matrimony certificates, certificates issued by the Ukrainian Dopomoh Committee of Ukrainian nationality of the applicant).
photo. National Archives in KrakowThe squad besides includes about 500 individual IDs issued by the Polish authorities before September 1939, the occupying German Personalausweis (also a kind of identity card) and individual IDs issued at the exchange of German Kennkarts in 1945. The Arbeitsbuch für Ausländer – books for foreigners, issued to people exported to Germany during planet War II. Here the most interesting are photographs taken with a number on the plate and information about the workplace and the period of employment. Part of the collection is indexed – The National Archives in Krakow has an index of Kennkart and Polish identity cards containing 9 257 names.
Nearly 21,000 displaced people
As already mentioned, the files themselves were not acting Representative of the Provisional Government for Evacuation in Nowy Sącz neither Representative for Evacuation in Nowy Sącz. On the another hand, Regional Office of Krakow (1945-1950), before which the territory typical reported the remaining information about this action. Subsequent reports and calculations of evacuated quantities show both heartless politics and the tragedy of people. Between April 5, 1945 and June 1, 1946, 20,093 people were displaced from the Nowo Sądecki region and neighboring districts. It is worth noting that the plans were somewhat larger – it was calculated meticulously that the evacuations were to be subject to 4,749 families, which gave a full of 22,664 people. The final protocol of 25 May 1946 on the completion of the evacuation of the Ukrainian population in the territory of Nowo Sądecki provides another 5,000 people for possible evacuations, dividing them carefully into categories:
- persons from mixed families,
- heading west,
- with American citizenship,
- those who have left in the unknown or have escaped “to the forest”.
The last 3 groups and their description say a lot about the ethnicity of these people. These 3 groups are:
- admitting to Polish origin: by changing the rite, kinship, serving in the Polish Army, utilizing the Polish language.
- who cannot choose to belong to nationality due to a low degree of culture and awareness.
- The rest: those who admit to Ukrainian nationality, however, do not want to undergo voluntary evacuation.
National Archives in KrakowAlready at this point, we see the horror of the situation – and this is the period and reports from before the tragic action “Wisła” which was to take place.
On the basis of the preserved papers of the family, which have scattered around the planet as a consequence of complicated past of Polish and Ukrainian history, it is possible to reunite and merge by undertaking household research. The collection of more than 9,000 identity papers is historical sources to both the post-war past of Poland, the destiny of the Lemkos and Lemkowszczyzna, as well as subsequent increasing household trees of our families.
Author: Iwona Fischer (National Archives in Krakow).
Original publication: More Maiorum No 10 (81)/2019.
