back...Meeting of young people from Łódź with the youngest political prisoner in the Polish People’s Republic.

Meeting of young people from Łódź with a representative of the Association of Children of Cursed Soldiers

1 March is the Cursed Soldiers National Remembrance Day. Consequently, the Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism has organised a meeting of young people from Łódź with Janusz Niemiec, the youngest political prisoner in the Polish People’s Republic as well as a representative of the Association of Children of Cursed Soldiers.

Janusz Niemiec was born in 1941 as the son of cursed soldiers Antoni Żubryd (“Zuch”) and Janina Żubryd. In June 1945, he and his grandmother were arrested by the Office of Public Security. However, he was released after several days as a result of an ultimatum made to the communist authorities by his father. In 1946, he was once again arrested by the Office of Security, becoming the youngest political prisoner in the Polish People’s Republic.

- The excuse for the arrest was the alleged collaboration of the four-year-old Janusz with a battalion led by his father. After several months, the child was released from prison. The same year, Jerzy Vaulin, an informer of the Office of Security, murdered Janusz’s parents and went on to pursue his career as a film director for several years – informs the Head of the Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism.

After losing his parents, Janusz was adopted by a sister of his mother, Stefania Niemiec. For many years, he has been actively involved in the popularisation of knowledge about the Polish anti-communist resistance movement. Janusz Niemiec is also a member of the Council of the Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism.

This witness of history told the participants of the meeting about the history of the anti-communist independence underground and described the fate of his family, who were involved in the fight for independent Poland after 1945.