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The Ministry of Public Security (), was the
secret police image:Putin-Stasi-Ausweis.png, 300px, Vladimir Putin's secret police identity card, issued by the East German Stasi while he was working as a Soviet KGB liaison officer from 1985 to 1989. Both organizations used similar forms of repression. Secre ...
,
intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It can be described as t ...
and
counter-espionage Counterintelligence (counter-intelligence) or counterespionage (counter-espionage) is any activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting ac ...
agency operating in the
Polish People's Republic The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...
. From 1945 to 1954 it was known as the Security Office (, UB), and from 1956 to 1990 as the Security Service (, SB). The initial UB was headed by Public Security General Stanisław Radkiewicz and supervised by Jakub Berman of the Polish Politburo. The main goal of the Department of Security was the swift eradication of
anti-communist Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when th ...
structures and socio-political base of the
Polish Underground State The Polish Underground State (, also known as the Polish Secret State) was a single political and military entity formed by the union of resistance organizations in occupied Poland that were loyal to the Government of the Republic of Poland ...
, as well as the persecution of former underground soldiers of the
Home Army The Home Army (, ; abbreviated AK) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) established in the ...
() and later anti-communist organizations like Freedom and Independence (WiN). The Ministry of Public Security was established on 1 January 1945 and ceased operations on 7 December 1954. It was the chief secret service in communist Poland during the period of
Stalinism Stalinism (, ) is the Totalitarianism, totalitarian means of governing and Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union (USSR) from History of the Soviet Union (1927–1953), 1927 to 1953 by dictator Jose ...
. Throughout its existence, the UB was responsible for brutally beating, arresting, imprisoning, torturing and murdering at least tens of thousands of political opponents and suspects as well as taking part in actions such as
Operation Vistula Operation Vistula (; ) was the codename for the 1947 forced resettlement of close to 150,000 Ukrainians in Poland, Ukrainians (including Rusyns, Boykos, and Lemkos) from the southeastern provinces of People's Republic of Poland, postwar Poland to ...
in 1947. The headquarters were located on Koszykowa Street in central
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
, but its branches and places of detention were scattered across the entire country, the most infamous being Mokotów Prison. The Ministry of Public Security was replaced by a short-lived Committee for Public Security (1954–1956). Propaganda publicized these events, although the changes were in reality cosmetic. The competences of the MBP were taken over by the KdsBP, headed by Władysław Dworakowski. All operational, technical-operational and accounting departments of the MBP remained in the committee. It therefore maintained full surveillance and repression capabilities. Several people were removed from prominent positions, but the personal continuity of the MBP-KdsBP management was maintained. In 1956 the marginally less repressive Security Service (SB) replaced the committee in 1956. All secret servicemen, functionaries, and employees were widely known by the public as ; in English "Ubeks" and singular "Ubek/Esbek" (pronounced: ).


History

In July 1944, behind the Soviet front line, a brand new Polish
provisional government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, a transitional government or provisional leadership, is a temporary government formed to manage a period of transition, often following state collapse, revoluti ...
was formed, called the
Polish Committee of National Liberation The Polish Committee of National Liberation ( Polish: ''Polski Komitet Wyzwolenia Narodowego'', ''PKWN''), also known as the Lublin Committee, was an executive governing authority established by the Soviet-backed communists in Poland at the la ...
(''Polski Komitet Wyzwolenia Narodowego'', PKWN).
Norman Davies Ivor Norman Richard Davies (born 8 June 1939) is a British and Polish historian, known for his publications on the history of Europe, Poland and the United Kingdom. He has a special interest in Central and Eastern Europe and is UNESCO Profes ...
, ''God's Playground: A History of Poland''. Vol 2. New York:
Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's la ...
, 1982 and several reprints. and .
It was established in
Chełm Chełm (; ; ) is a city in eastern Poland in the Lublin Voivodeship with 60,231 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is located to the south-east of Lublin, north of Zamość and south of Biała Podlaska, some from the border with Ukraine. The ...
on the initiative of Polish communists, in order to assume control over Polish territories liberated from
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
by the advancing Red Army. PKWN was proclaimed "the only legitimate Polish government" by Stalin, with full political control and Soviet sponsorship. Within the PKWN's internal structure, there were thirteen departments called ''Resorty''. One of these was the Department of Public Security (Resort Bezpieczeństwa Publicznego) or RBP, headed by Stanisław Radkiewicz. It was a precursor of the Polish communist secret police. On 31 December 1944, the PKWN was joined by several members of the London-based
Polish government in exile The Polish government-in-exile, officially known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile (), was the government in exile A government-in-exile (GiE) is a political group that claims to be the legitimate government of a sovere ...
, among them Stanisław Mikołajczyk (later chased out of the country). PKWN was then transformed into Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland (). All departments were renamed: the Department of Public Security became the Ministry of Public Security (''Ministerstwo Bezpieczeństwa Publicznego'') or MBP and UB.


UB tasks and numbers

From the end of the 1940s to 1954, the Ministry of Public Security – operating alongside the
Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
– was one of the largest and most powerful institutions in post-war
People's Republic of Poland The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...
. It was responsible for internal and foreign intelligence,
counter-intelligence Counterintelligence (counter-intelligence) or counterespionage (counter-espionage) is any activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting ac ...
, monitoring anti-state activity in Poland and abroad, monitoring government and civilian communications (
wiretapping Wiretapping, also known as wire tapping or telephone tapping, is the monitoring of telephone and Internet-based conversations by a third party, often by covert means. The wire tap received its name because, historically, the monitoring connecti ...
), supervision of the local governments, maintaining a
militsiya ''Militsiya'' ( rus, милиция, 3=mʲɪˈlʲitsɨjə, 5=, ) were the police forces in the Soviet Union until 1991, in several Eastern Bloc countries (1945–1992), and in the Non-Aligned Movement, non-aligned Socialist Federal Republic ...
, maintaining prisons, fire services, rescue services, and border patrol; as well as several
concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...
s set up by the NKVD (such as Zgoda labour camp). In July 1947, the UB absorbed ''Section II'' of General Staff of the Polish People's Army (the Polish Military Intelligence). Military and civilian intelligence merged to become ''Department VII'' of Ministry of Public Security. In 1950s Ministry of Public Security employed around 32,000 people. Also, UB had control over 41,000 soldiers, including 29,053 privates and 2,356 officers of the
Internal Security Corps The Internal Security Corps (, KBW) was a special-purpose military formation in Poland under History of Poland (1945–1989)#Stalinist era (1948–1956), communist government, established on 24 May 1945. History The KBW consisted of 10 new ca ...
(''Korpus Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego'', KBW), 57,000 officers in the Citizens' Militia (
Milicja Obywatelska Milicja Obywatelska (MO; ), known as the Citizens' Militia in English, was the national police organization of the Polish People's Republic. The MO was established on 7 October 1944 by the Polish Committee of National Liberation under Chief Co ...
), 32,000 officers and soldiers in the Border guard (Wojska Ochrony Pogranicza), 10,000 prison officers (Straż Więzienna), and 125,000 members of Volunteer Reserves of the Citizens Militia (Ochotnicza Rezerwa Milicji Obywatelskiej, ORMO), a paramilitary police used for special operations.


Soviet infiltration and political repressions

Political penetration and military control over the country by the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
was evident in the early years of the Polish People's Republic. The Soviet Northern Group of Forces was stationed in Poland until 1956. The command and administrative structure of the Polish Armed Forces,
Intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It can be described as t ...
,
Counter-intelligence Counterintelligence (counter-intelligence) or counterespionage (counter-espionage) is any activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting ac ...
, special services and Internal security organs both civilian (UB) and military (
Main Directorate of Information of the Polish Army Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name * Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province * Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish terr ...
GZI WP) were infiltrated by Soviet intelligence and counter-intelligence officers, who served as the main guarantee of pro-Soviet policy of the new Polish socialist state. The Red Army provided assistance to MPB not only in the form of advisors, but also with their own paramilitary units including NKGB,
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (, ), abbreviated as NKVD (; ), was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) se ...
,
GRU Gru is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the ''Despicable Me'' film series. Gru or GRU may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * Gru (rapper), Serbian rapper * Gru, an antagonist in '' The Kine Saga'' Organizations Georgia (c ...
, SMERSH; and, in later years MGB, MVD and
KGB The Committee for State Security (, ), abbreviated as KGB (, ; ) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, Joint State Polit ...
. The first Russian chief advisor to the MPB was Major General Ivan Serov, a well-trained Stalinist experienced with Soviet security organs. Serov became commander of the NKVD-run militsiya during World War II. He worked as chief of the NKVD Secret Political Department, before becoming
People's Commissar Commissar (or sometimes ''Kommissar'') is an English language, English transliteration of the Russian language, Russian (''komissar''), which means 'commissary'. In English, the transliteration ''commissar'' often refers specifically to the pol ...
of Internal Affairs of the
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...
in the USSR. In 1941–1945, he was the First Deputy People's Commissar of the State Security and later – Deputy People's Commissar of Internal Affairs of the Soviet Union. Once he became main advisor to the UB in March 1945, Ivan Serov oversaw the kidnapping of 16 top Polish politicians and underground resistance leaders, secretly transported them to
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, where they were tortured and thrown into jail after the staged Trial of the Sixteen. None survived. ''God's Playground: 1795 to the present'' By Norman Davies
''Since Stalin, a photo history of our time'' by Boris Shub and Bernard Quint, Swen Publications, New York, Manila, 1951. Page 121.


The Stalinist reign of terror

Infiltrated by NKGB and NKVD agents – the Ministry of Public Security was well known for its criminal nature. From January 1945 (or, July 22), the surviving members of the
Home Army The Home Army (, ; abbreviated AK) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) established in the ...
laid down their arms, granted an official amnesty (lasting till October 15). Most were arrested by UB on the spot, tortured and tried for treason. The UB carried out brutal pacification of civilians, mass arrests (see: Augustów roundup), as well as makeshift executions (see: Mokotów Prison murder, Public execution in Dębica) and secret assassinations.Civil war in Poland. ''Europe since 1945: an encyclopedia'', Volume 2, Bernard A. Cook
According to depositions by Józef Światło and other communist sources, in 1945 alone the number of members of the
Polish Underground State The Polish Underground State (, also known as the Polish Secret State) was a single political and military entity formed by the union of resistance organizations in occupied Poland that were loyal to the Government of the Republic of Poland ...
deported to Siberia and various labor camps in the Soviet Union reached 50,000.''Poland's holocaust'' By Tadeusz Piotrowski. Page 131.
.
Overall, in the years 1944–1956 around 300,000 Polish citizens had been arrested, of whom many thousands were sentenced to long-term imprisonment. There were 6,000 death sentences pronounced, the majority of them carried out "in the majesty of the law". A special disciplinary legislation had been introduced, which allowed for the sentencing of civil persons before military tribunals including young people and children. The courts were concerned with the alleged crimes, not the age and the maturity of its victims. For many years, the public prosecutors and judges as well as functionaries of the Ministry of Public Security, Security Service of the Ministry of Interior (SB) and
Main Directorate of Information of the Polish Army Main may refer to: Geography *Main River (disambiguation), multiple rivers with the same name * Ma'in, an ancient kingdom in modern-day Yemen * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province * Spanish Main, the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish terr ...
(GZI WP) engaged in acts recognized by
international law International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...
as
crimes against humanity Crimes against humanity are certain serious crimes committed as part of a large-scale attack against civilians. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity can be committed during both peace and war and against a state's own nationals as well as ...
and crimes against peace. The so-called " Cursed soldiers" of the anti-communist resistance, who opposed the new occupiers and attacked the Stalinist strongholds, were eventually hunted down by UB security services and assassination squads. The underground structures had been destroyed, and most members of the Armia Krajowa and WiN who remained opposed to communism, were executed after kangaroo trials (staged by Wolińska-Brus and Zarakowski among others), or deported to the Soviet
GULAG The Gulag was a system of Labor camp, forced labor camps in the Soviet Union. The word ''Gulag'' originally referred only to the division of the Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies, Soviet secret police that was in charge of runnin ...
system.


Defection

In November 1953,
First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party The Polish United Workers' Party (, ), commonly abbreviated to PZPR, was the communist party which ruled the Polish People's Republic as a one-party state from 1948 to 1989. The PZPR had led List of political parties in Poland, two other legall ...
,
Bolesław Bierut Bolesław Bierut (; 18 April 1892 – 12 March 1956) was a Polish communist activist and politician, leader of History of Poland (1945–1989), communist-ruled Poland from 1947 until 1956. He was President of the State National Council from 1944 ...
, asked Politburo member Jakub Berman to send MBP Lieutenant Colonel Józef Światło on an important mission to
East Berlin East Berlin (; ) was the partially recognised capital city, capital of East Germany (GDR) from 1949 to 1990. From 1945, it was the Allied occupation zones in Germany, Soviet occupation sector of Berlin. The American, British, and French se ...
. Światło, deputy head of UB ''Department 10'', together with Colonel Anatol Fejgin, were asked to consult with the
East German East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, it was generally vie ...
Ministry for State Security's chief
Erich Mielke Erich Fritz Emil Mielke (; 28 December 1907 – 21 May 2000) was a German communist official who served as head of the East Germany, East German Ministry for State Security (''Ministerium für Staatsicherheit'' – MfS), better known as the Sta ...
about eliminating Wanda Brońska. The two officials traveled to Berlin and spoke with Mielke. On December 5, 1953, the day after meeting Mielke, Światło defected to the United States through their military mission in
West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...
. The next day, American military authorities transported Światło to
Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
and by December, Światło had been flown to Washington D.C, where he underwent an extensive debriefing. Światło's defection was widely publicized in the United States and Europe by the American authorities, as well as in Poland via
Radio Free Europe Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a media organization broadcasting news and analyses in 27 languages to 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Headquartered in Prague since 1995, RFE/RL ...
, embarrassing the authorities in Warsaw. Światło had intimate knowledge of the internal politics of the Polish government, especially the activities of the various secret services. Over the course of the following months, American newspapers and Radio Free Europe reported extensively on political repression in Poland based on Światło revelations, including the
torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons including corporal punishment, punishment, forced confession, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimid ...
of prisoners under interrogation and politically motivated executions. Światło also detailed struggles inside the
Polish United Workers' Party The Polish United Workers' Party (, ), commonly abbreviated to PZPR, was the communist party which ruled the Polish People's Republic as a one-party state from 1948 to 1989. The PZPR had led two other legally permitted subordinate minor parti ...
. Among other activities, Światło had been ordered to falsify evidence that was used to incriminate
Władysław Gomułka Władysław Gomułka (; 6 February 1905 – 1 September 1982) was a Polish Communist politician. He was the ''de facto'' leader of Polish People's Republic, post-war Poland from 1947 until 1948, and again from 1956 to 1970. Born in 1905 in ...
, whom he personally arrested. He had also arrested and falsified evidence against Marian Spychalski, the future Minister of National Defence, who was at the time a leading politician and high-ranking military officer.


Organization

The political and administrative matters of the Ministry came under the authority of Jakub Berman, a Stalinist from the
Polish United Workers' Party The Polish United Workers' Party (, ), commonly abbreviated to PZPR, was the communist party which ruled the Polish People's Republic as a one-party state from 1948 to 1989. The PZPR had led two other legally permitted subordinate minor parti ...
. The Ministry of Public Security structure was being changed constantly from January 1945 on, as the Ministry expanded. It was divided into departments and each department was subdivided into sections entrusted with different tasks. In January 1945, the largest and the most important department in UB was Department One, responsible for ''counter-espionage'' and ''anti-state activities''. It was headed by General Roman Romkowski. ''Department I'' was divided into Sections, each responsible for a different but specific function ''self-described'' in the following way: # Fighting German espionage and Nazi underground remaining in Poland. # Fighting reactionary underground. # Fighting political banditry. # Protection of the national economy. # Protection of legal political parties from outside (underground) penetration. # Prisons. # Observation. # Investigations. Two new departments were formed in addition to departments and sections created for the Resort Bezpieczeństwa Publicznego (RBP) forming the core of MBP or UB in January 1945. On September 6, 1945, from the existing structure of ''Department I'' emerged three additional departments: ''Department IV'' commanded by Aleksander Wolski-Dyszko, ''Department V'' commanded by Julia Brystygier, and ''Department VI'' headed by Teodor Duda '' (pl)''. In July 1946, further changes were enacted. UB was divided into eight (8) departments, five of which dealt with operational cases, including ''Counter-espionage'' (Dep 1), ''Technical operations and technology'' (Dep 2), ''Fighting underground resistance'' (Dep 3), ''Protection of economy'' (Dep 4), and ''Counteraction of hostile penetration and church influences'' (Dep 5). In June 1948 the ''Secret Office'' was established for ''Internal'' counter-intelligence. The Special Office conducted surveillance on members of the MPB itself. On March 2, 1949, the ''Special Bureau'' was established, renamed in 1951 simply as ''Department Ten''. Department 10 conducted surveillance of high-ranking members of the
Polish United Workers' Party The Polish United Workers' Party (, ), commonly abbreviated to PZPR, was the communist party which ruled the Polish People's Republic as a one-party state from 1948 to 1989. The PZPR had led two other legally permitted subordinate minor parti ...
and people associated with them.


Ministry of Public Security roster (1951 and 1953)


UB in the field

All over Poland Ministry of Public Security had regional offices. There was one, or more UB office in each
voivodeship A voivodeship ( ) or voivodate is the area administered by a voivode (governor) in several countries of central and eastern Europe. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times and the area of extent of voivodeship resembles that of a duchy in ...
, each of them called the Voivode Office of Public Security (''Wojewódzki Urząd Bezpieczeństwa Publicznego'', or WUBP). Each WUBP had 308 full-time UB officers and employees on staff. Beside WUBP, there were also City Offices of Public Security (''Miejski Urząd Bezpieczeństwa Publicznego'' or MUBP), with 148 MPB officers and employees; as well as District Offices of Public Security (''Powiatowy Urząd Bezpieczeństwa Publicznego'' or PUBP), with 51 officers and employees; and finally, the Communal Offices of Public Security (''Gminny Urząd Bezpieczeństwa Publicznego'', or GUBP), which were stationed at the local militia precincts ( MO), with 3 UBP security officers on staff. In 1953, in the field, there were 17 Voivode Offices of Public Security (WUBP), and 2 Regional Offices of Public Security on the order of WUBP. There were 268 District Offices of Public Security (PUBP) and 5 City Offices of Public Security (MUBP), which operated as District Offices of Public Security (PUBP). Together, they employed 33,200 permanent officers, of which 7,500 were stationed in their
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...
. According to professor Andrzej Paczkowski, in 1953, there was one UB officer for every 800 Polish citizens. Never again, in the 45-year-old history of the
People's Republic of Poland The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...
, were its special services' formations so large in numbers.


1954 reorganization and formation of SB

The highly publicized defection of Colonel Światło, not to mention the general hatred of the Ministry of Public Security among the Polish public led to changes in late 1954. In December of that year, the
Polish Council of State The Council of State of the Polish People's Republic, Republic of Poland () was introduced by the Small Constitution of 1947 as an organ of executive (government), executive power. The Council of State consisted of the President of Poland, Presid ...
and the
Council of Ministers Council of Ministers is a traditional name given to the supreme Executive (government), executive organ in some governments. It is usually equivalent to the term Cabinet (government), cabinet. The term Council of State is a similar name that also m ...
decided to replace the ministry with two separate administrations: the Committee for Public Security (''Komitet do Spraw Bezpieczeństwa Publicznego'' or KDSBP), headed by Władysław Dworakowski, and the
Ministry of Interior An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, th ...
(''Ministerstwo Spraw Wewnętrznych'' or MSW), headed by
Władysław Wicha Władysław Wicha (born 3 June 1904 in Warsaw; died 13 December 1984 in Warsaw) was a Polish politician in the early communist period. Ministry of Interior (Poland), Minister of Interior in the years 1954–1964, member of the Polish Council of S ...
. The number of employees of the Committee for Public Security was cut by 30% in central headquarters and by 40–50% in local structures. The huge network of secret informers was also substantially reduced and the most implicated functionaries of the Ministry of Public Security were arrested. Surveillance and repressive activities were reduced; in the majority of factories, special cells of public security, set up to spy on workers, were secretly closed. The Committee for Public Security took responsibility for
intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It can be described as t ...
and counter-espionage, government security and the secret police. From September 3, 1955 to November 28, 1956 it also controlled the Polish Army's Main Directorate of Information (''Główny Zarząd Informacji Wojska''), which ran the
Military Police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...
and counter espionage service. The
Ministry of Interior An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, th ...
was responsible for the supervision of local governments, the
Milicja Obywatelska Milicja Obywatelska (MO; ), known as the Citizens' Militia in English, was the national police organization of the Polish People's Republic. The MO was established on 7 October 1944 by the Polish Committee of National Liberation under Chief Co ...
(Citizens' Militia, MO) police force, Prison Service, fire and rescue forces, and the
Border Protection Forces Border Protection Forces (, ''WOP''), also known under its English abbreviation BPT, was the border guard service of the People's Republic of Poland from 1945 to 1989. During its 46 years of existence, it repeatedly changed its structural and serv ...
. In 1956 the Committee was dissolved, most of its functions merged into Ministry of Interior; the secret police was reformed into the Security Service (''Służba Bezpieczeństwa'' or SB) on 28 November 1956. The order was made by
Władysław Wicha Władysław Wicha (born 3 June 1904 in Warsaw; died 13 December 1984 in Warsaw) was a Polish politician in the early communist period. Ministry of Interior (Poland), Minister of Interior in the years 1954–1964, member of the Polish Council of S ...
, who was the incumbent Minister of Interior until 1964.


Notable MBP and UB personnel

* Antoni Alster (b. Nachum Alster) * Jakub Berman * Józef Bik (vel Jozef Bukar, vel Jozef Gawerski) * Julia Brystiger (née Prajs) * Józef Czaplicki (b. Izydor Kurc) * Anatol Fejgin * Adam Humer (b. Adam Umer) * Julian Kole * Julian Konar (b. Jakub Kohn) * Grzegorz Korczyński * Mieczysław Mietkowski (b. Mojżesz Bobrowicki) * Salomon Morel, commander of Zgoda labour camp * Henryk Pałka * Julian Polan-Haraschin * Józef Różański (b. Józef Goldberg) * Roman Romkowski (b. Natan Grunspan – Kikiel) * Stanisław Radkiewicz * Leon Rubinstein * Józef Światło (born Izak Fleischfarb) * Helena Wolińska-Brus (b. Fajga Mindla Danielak) * Piotr Smietanski * Stanisław Zarakowski


Notable people killed by the MBP and UB

In Warsaw, most of the killings were carried out at the Mokotów Prison. The victims' bodies – often placed naked in cement bags – were wheeled out at night and buried in unmarked graves in the vicinity of various Warsaw cemeteries and in open fields. * 1951 Mokotów Prison execution :*
Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
Łukasz Ciepliński Łukasz Ciepliński (; 26 November 1913 – 1 March 1951) was a Polish soldier who fought in the Polish anti-Nazi and anti-communist resistance movements. He used various aliases: ''Pług'', ''Ostrowski'', ''Ludwik'', ''Grzmot'', and ''Bogdan' ...
:*
Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
Karol Chmiel :*Major Adam Lazarowicz :*
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Józef Rzepka :*Captain Józef Batory :* Comdr.
Mieczysław Kawalec Mieczysław Kawalec (nom de guerre, noms de guerre "Iza", "Zbik", "Psarski", "Stanislawski"), born in 1916 in the village of Trzciana, Rzeszów County, was a Polish resistance fighter. In the late 1930s, he graduated from the Law Department at Lwó ...
:*Captain Franciszek Błażej * Comdt. Hieronim Dekutowski * Brigadier General Emil August Fieldorf *
Bolesław Kontrym Lieutenant Bolesław Kontrym (Zatruka, Russian Empire, 27 August 1898 – 20 January 1953, Warsaw, Poland), also known by codenames ''Żmudzin'', ''Biały'', ''Bielski'' and ''Cichocki'', was a Polish Army officer, a Home Army soldier, participan ...
( Cichociemni) * Cavalry Captain Witold Pilecki * 1st Lieutenant Jan Rodowicz ( Szare Szeregi) * Danuta Siedzikówna * *
Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
Zygmunt Szendzielarz * Capt. Stanisław Sojczyński *
Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...
Józef Franczak shot dead by ZOMO in 1963


See also

*
Montelupich prison The Montelupich Prison, named for the street on which it is located, the ''ulica Montelupich'' ("street of the Montelupi family"),Ulica Montelupich or "street of the Montelupis" itself is named after the Montelupi manor house (Kamienica (archite ...
*
Milicja Obywatelska Milicja Obywatelska (MO; ), known as the Citizens' Militia in English, was the national police organization of the Polish People's Republic. The MO was established on 7 October 1944 by the Polish Committee of National Liberation under Chief Co ...
(MO) * Zgoda labour camp, a
concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...
for Silesians, Germans, and Poles, operated in 1945 by the Polish
secret police image:Putin-Stasi-Ausweis.png, 300px, Vladimir Putin's secret police identity card, issued by the East German Stasi while he was working as a Soviet KGB liaison officer from 1985 to 1989. Both organizations used similar forms of repression. Secre ...


References


Bibliography

* Leszek Pawlikowicz,
Tajny Front Zimnej Wojny: Uciekinierzy z polskich służb specjalnych 1956–1964
', Oficyna Wydawnicza RYTM, 2004, 1st edition . * Henryk Piecuch, ''Akcje Specjalne: Od Bieruta do Ochaba'', (part of a series: ''Tajna Historia Polski'', Agencja Wydawnicza CB, Warsaw, 1996 () * Nigel West, ''Trzecia Tajemnica: Kulisy zamachu na Papieża'' (), publ. in ''Sensacje XX Wieku'' * ''Metody Pracy Operacyjnej Aparatu Bezpieczństwa wobec kościołów i związków zawodowych 1945–1989'', IPN, Warsaw, 2004 (Methods of operative work of Security organs against churches and trade unions 1945–1989, published by
Institute of National Remembrance The Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation (, abbreviated IPN) is a Polish state research institute in charge of education and archives which also includes two public prosecutio ...
) * Normam Polmar, Thomas Allen – ''Księga Szpiegów'' (The Book of Spies), Wydawnictwo Magnum, Warsaw, 2000 * Zbigniew Błażyński, ''Mówi Józef Światło: Za kulisami bezpieki i partii 1940–1955'', Warsaw 2003 *


External links and further reading


List of persons condemned by Military Courts to the capital punishment (1946–1955)
* Henryk Piecuch, ''Brudne gry: ostatnie akcje Służb Specjalnych'' (seria: ''Tajna Historia Polski'') (''Dirty Games: the Last Special Services Operations'' 'Secret History of Poland'' series. Warsaw: Agencja Wydawnicza CB (1998). {{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry Of Public Security Of Poland Ministries established in 1945 1945 establishments in Poland 1954 disestablishments in Poland Polish People's Republic
Public Security Public security or public safety is the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. It is often conducted by a state government to ensu ...
Law enforcement in communist states Defunct Polish intelligence agencies Defunct law enforcement agencies of Poland Cold War military history of Poland Eastern Bloc intelligence agencies Secret police