Porta Polonica

Lübeck

Monument at the cemetery in Lübeck
Monument at the cemetery in Lübeck

Oflag X C Lübeck was founded in June 1940 and functioned until its liberation by the Allied forces in May 1945. From 1941 to August 1944, Polish prisoners of war were kept there alongside French, Belgians, Yugoslavs and Czechs. The camp was known not only for imprisoning the eldest son of Joseph Stalin, but also for being one of several penal camps where imprisonment was treated as a penalty. Managed by the Prussian Colonel Freiherr von Wachtmeister, it stood out for its strict rigour and worse conditions.

People who were placed there were the "defiant" and "disobedient" who did not comply with the regulations of other camps, mainly prisoners of war who were preparing to escape or were involved in escapes. Despite increased searches and inspections and an increased number of guard crew, a Polish underground organisation was operating in the camp, maintaining contact with the 1st  branch of the Home Army Headquarters in Warsaw. The goal of the organisation was to maintain a strong moral and patriotic attitude, to prepare active defence in case of attempts to eliminate Polish officers, to spread destructive propaganda among German sentries, to organise radio surveillance (Polish prisoners of war had two radio receivers) together with providing information for the whole camp and to help in preparing escapes.

The hopes of the Wehrmacht command to prevent escapes by setting up penal camps were not fulfilled. Already in 1942, Cavalry Second-Lieutenant Wacław Zdyba, who reached the country and became the head of diversion in Upper Silesia, made a successful escape. He died in a military action in 1944. Oflag X C was well guarded, but located on soil, which was ideal for escape by digging a tunnel. In 1943, four Polish officers escaped in this way; two of them later died in battle - Second-Lieutenant of the Border Guard Kazimierz Witrylak, as a Home Army soldier, near Hrubieszów and Navy Second-Lieutenant Lucjan Masłocha, who after escaping to Denmark joined the ranks of the Danish resistance and died together with his wife. They were both buried in the plot of the Danish resistance heroes at the cemetery in Copenhagen.

After several successful and unsuccessful escape attempts (also organised by prisoners of other nationalities), the camp commandant tightened the severe regulations. Despite this, Poles started digging another tunnel. Their unfinished work was handed over to French prisoners in August 1944, when Poles were taken to other camps. The last group handcuffed and under increased supervision, was taken to Oflag VI B Dössel. In spite of special control, a disassembled radio station was transported to Dössel.

The list of Polish victims of the Second World War buried at the cemetery in Vorwerk includes 12 names with a military rank or the information "Polish soldier". These are Polish prisoners of war from Oflag X C, who died in various circumstances between the arrival of Poles in the camp in 1941 and its liberation in May 1945.

List of names in the original German spelling:

 

JABLONSKY KONSTANTY Major

* 1894

† 11.3.1942

 

SKACZYLA HENRYK Poln. Soldat (Polish soldier)

* 1900

† 4.4.1942

 

UNBEKANT Poln. Soldat (Unknown Polish soldier)

† 6.4.1942

 

DURAK NICOLY Poln. Soldat (Polish soldier)

* 1892

† 8.8.1942

 

HAUPTMANN FELIKS born as Poln. Soldat (Polish soldier)

* 1890

† 29.8.1942

 

TERASIN ZYGMUNT Oberltn. (Lieutenant)

* 1894

† 14.5.1943

 

RASZTOR WALENTY Oberltn. (Lieutenant)

* 1905

† 28.6.1943

 

LECZKOWSKI BRONISLAW Poln. Ltn. (Polish Second lieutenant)

† 11.12.1943

 

Other Polish soldiers who died after the end of the warfare:



GRYZEL Poln. Soldat (Polish soldier)

† 11.6.1945

 

UNBEKANT Poln. Soldat (Unknown Polish soldier)

† 27.7.1945

 

WISNIEWSKI JANUSZ DR. Poln. Ofiz. (Dr. Polish officer)

*1918 † 31.8.1945

 

KOLENDOWICZ JOSEF Fähnrich (Regimental Sergeant Major)

* 1929

† 17.9.1945

 

The list of the deceased and buried at this cemetery did not include the name of the prisoner of war No. 21730/XVIII-A:

 

WITOLD BILIŃSKI Captain of Horse

* 25.9.1899 Woroneż

† 7.10.1945 Lübeck, did not survive until the first transports back to the country.