Mieczysław Niedziałkowski (September 19, 1893 in
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional u ...
- June 21, 1940 in
Palmiry) was a Polish politician and writer. He was an activist in the
Polish Socialist Party
The Polish Socialist Party ( pl, Polska Partia Socjalistyczna, PPS) is a socialist political party in Poland.
It was one of the most important parties in Poland from its inception in 1892 until its merger with the communist Polish Workers' ...
, editor in chief of
Robotnik, and one of the primary activists and cofounders of the
Centrolew alliance. He published several works on socialism and Polish politics. He took part in the
defence of Warsaw in 1939, organizing the volunteer
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non- professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
s. He was subsequently arrested and interrogated by the
Gestapo
The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe.
The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one or ...
. He was
executed on 21 June 1940 in Palmiry during the
German AB-Aktion.
After his arrest by the
Gestapo
The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe.
The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one or ...
. Niedziałkowski was personally interviewed by
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...
, who asked "What do you want from us; what do you expect?" Niedziałkowski responded "From you I neither want nor demand anything. With you I fight."
References
Further reading
* Niemyski St., W redakcji "Robotnika" w: PPS. Wspomnienia z lat 1918–1939, Warszawa 1987
* Woszczyńska St., O Mieczysławie Niedziałkowskim w: PPS. Wspomnienia z lat 1918–1939, Warszawa 1987
1893 births
1940 deaths
Politicians from Vilnius
Polish Socialist Party politicians
Polish people of World War II
Members of the Executive of the Labour and Socialist International
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