Józef Piłsudski in German prisons

Piłsudski and Sosnkowski during their internment in the Magdeburg Fortress, 1918
Piłsudski and Sosnkowski during their internment in the Magdeburg Fortress, 1918

He was not able to see Aleksandra Szczerbińska and his daughter Wanda until the afternoon. After that, events moved quickly. On 11th November Józef Piłsudski took over the leadership of the Polish military high command from the Regency Council. The next day he issued a statement that the Council had requested him to form a national government.

Van Gülpen stayed in a private residence in Warsaw for two days. Before leaving for Berlin, he received a photo with a personal dedication from Piłsudski On his return journey a special compartment was placed at his disposal, reserved “for the government only”. Shortly afterwards Count Kessler was appointed German envoy to Poland. He stayed in Warsaw from 20th November to 15th December 1918, where, amongst others, his portfolio included the solution of all problems relating to the repatriation of German troops.

A few months later, in March 1919, Józef Piłsudski gave an interview to the French newspaper “Le Petit Parisien” in which he left no doubt as to what he thought about the German diplomat Count Kessler and his share in his liberation from prison. For Piłsudski it was – not without reason – simply a part of a political game:

“I knew him personally and was involved with him during the war as leader of the Legions”, said Piłsudski. “He knew the revolutionaries would set me free. He wanted to give me the impression that he had freed me, and no doubt imagined that he would harm me in the eyes of the coalition, whereas the two years of imprisonment in Germany would be forgotten.”

 

Krzysztof Ruchniewicz, June 2018 

 

 

The quotations come from:

P. van Gülpen, Moje Spotkanie z Piłsudskim (My Meeting with Piłsudski), in: “Niepodległość”, vol. 14 (July–December 1936), pp. 441–447;

Interview in “Le Petit Parisien” (16.03.1919), [in:] Józef Piłsudski, Pisma zbiorowe (Collected Writings), vol. 5, Warsaw 1937, p. 66; 

Wacław Lipiński, Uwolnienie Józefa Piłsudskiego z Magdeburga według relacji hr. Harry Kesslera (The Liberation of Józef Piłsudski from Magdeburg based on the report by Count Harry Kessler), in: “Niepodległość”, vol. 18 (November–December 1938), pp. 462–469; 

M. J. Wielopolska, Więzienne drogi Komendanta. Gdańsk-Szpandawa-Wesel-Magdeburg (The Commander's Prison Journeys, Danzig-Spandau-Wesel-Magdeburg), Krakau 1939; 

Aleksandra Piłsudska, Wspomnienia (Memoirs), London 1960; 

Wacław Jędrzejewicz, Kronika życia Józefa Piłsudskiego 1867-1935 (The Life of Józef Piłsudski 1867-1935), vol. 1: 1867–1920, London 1977.

 

Exhibition:  

The exhibition in “Ravelin 2” shows the history of the fortress and the citadel of Magdeburg. Also exhibited is a miniature replica of the wooden house in which Piłsudski was imprisoned.

 

The President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Warsaw (german):
http://www.bundespraesident.de/SharedDocs/Reden/DE/Frank-Walter-Steinme…

 

Media library
  • Flyer: Piłsudski’s Return to Warsaw, 1918

    Flyer: Piłsudski’s Return to Warsaw, 1918
  • Józef Piłsudski and Kazimierz Sosnkowski, 1914

    Commander Józef Piłsudski accompanied by his friend Kazimierz Sosnkowski during their internment in 1914.
  • Flyer: The Regency Council hands Józef Piłsudski the command of the Polish armed forces, 1918

    Flyer: The Regency Council hands Józef Piłsudski the command of the Polish armed forces, 1918
  • Flyer: Commander Piłsudski spends his “name day” in a German prison, 1918

    Flyer: Commander Piłsudski spends his “name day” in a German prison, 1918
  • Flyer to protest against the illegal internment of Piłsudski, 1917

    Flyer: On Sunday 29th of this month we will gather in front of the Adam Mickiewicz Monument at 11 am to protest against the illegal internment of Commander Józef Piłsudski and Chief of Staff of the Fi...
  • Title page of the memoirs of Józef Piłsudski, 1925

    Title page: Józef Piłsudski, Moje pierwsze boje. Wspomnienia spisane w twierdzy magdeburskiej (My First Battles. Memoirs written in the Magdeburg Fortress ), Warszawa: "Bibljoteka Polska", 1925 (Bydgo...
  • Józef Piłsudski and Sosnkowski during their internment in the Magdeburg Fortress, 1918

    Józef Piłsudski and Sosnkowski during their internment in the Magdeburg fortress, 1918
  • The Spandau Fortress Prison

    The Spandau Fortress Prison
  • The main gate of the Citadel in Wesel

    The main gate of the citadel in Wesel, seen from the town side.
  • Title page of the “Kurier Warszawski”, 10th November 1918

    Title page of the “Kurier Warszawski”, 10th November 1918. Powrót komendanta Piłsudskiego (The Return of Commander Piłsudski), special supplement, No. 311, 10.11.1918.
  • The House in the Magdeburg Fortress

    The house in the Magdeburg Fortress where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • The House in the Magdeburg Fortress

    The house in the Magdeburg Fortress where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • A partial view of the Magdeburg Fortress

    A partial view of the Magdeburg Fortress.
  • A plan of the Magdeburg Fortress

    A plan of the Magdeburg Fortress with the house (circled in red),where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Restaurant Hiller in Berlin

    Restaurant Hiller in Berlin
  • A Caricature of Marshal Józef Piłsudski, 1927

    In: Gustaw Rogalski, Album karykatur 1914-1928 Marszałka J. Piłsudskiego: na pamiątkę dziesięciolecia 1918-1928 niepodległości Polski (Caricatures Album of Marshal J. Piłsudski 1914-1928: to celebrate...
  • The House in the Magdeburg Fortress

    The house in the Magdeburg Fortress where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • The House in the Magdeburg Fortress

    The house in the Magdeburg Fortress.
  • The House in the Magdeburg Fortress

    The House in the Magdeburg Fortress.
  • The House in the Magdeburg Fortress

    The House in the Magdeburg Fortress.
  • The House in the Magdeburg Fortress

    The House in the Magdeburg Fortress.
  • The inside of the house in Magdeburg

    The inside of the house in Magdeburg where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • The inside of the house in Magdeburg

    The inside of the house in Magdeburg.
  • Polish guests at the house in the Magdeburg Fortress, where Józef Piłsudski was interned.

    Polish guests at the house in the Magdeburg Fortress, where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Polish guests at the house in the Magdeburg Fortress, where Józef Piłsudski was interned.

    Polish guests at the house in the Magdeburg Fortress, where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Polish guests at the house in Magdeburg where Józef Piłsudski was interned.

    Polish guests at the house in Magdeburg where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Certificate of delivery of the Piłsudski House, 1937

    Certificate of delivery of the Piłsudski House, 1937.
  • Demolition of the house where Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Piłsudski was interned.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Abriss des Piłsudski-Hauses in Magdeburg

    Abriss des Piłsudski-Hauses in Magdeburg.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned

    Demolition of the house where Józef Piłsudski was interned.
  • The Magdeburg House in the Belvedere Park in Warsaw, 1939

    The Magdeburg House in the Belvedere Park in Warsaw where Józef Piłsudski was interned, 1939.
  • Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg

    Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg.
  • Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg

    Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg.
  • Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg

    Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg.
  • Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg

    Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg.
  • Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg

    Today's terrain of the Fortress in Magdeburg.
  • On the way from Magdeburg to Berlin the travelers made a short break in the city Genthin for a breakfast.

    On the way from Magdeburg to Berlin the travelers made a short break in the city Genthin for a breakfast.
  • Gedenktafel an der ersten Wohnstätte in Warschau

    Gedenktafel an der ersten Wohnstätte in Warschau ab 10. November 1918
  • Gedenktafel an der ersten Wohnstätte in Warschau

    Gedenktafel an der ersten Wohnstätte in Warschau ab 10. November 1918
  • Józef Piłsudski - Hörspiel von "COSMO Radio po polsku" auf Deutsch

    In Zusammenarbeit mit "COSMO Radio po polsku" präsentieren wir Hörspiele zu ausgewählten Themen unseres Portals.
  • „Drei Tage im November. Józef Piłsudski und die polnische Unabhängigkeit 1918“

    Von Magdeburg in die Unabhängigkeit Polens - ein Film über einen polnischen Mythos.