As Przemysław Matusik rightly states in an excellent book on the history of Poznań, "the most important address in Poznań until October 1945 was first Dolna Wilda 86, and then Chełmońskiego 21, where the seat of the city's Soviet headquarters was located".
Indeed, when the USSR troops entered Poznań, the city became a frontier zone with all its consequences. Military headquarters were established at important points. Their power encompassed all areas of life. For the war commander, Col. Nikolai Smirnov, he was the most important authority in the city.
As far as it can be argued, whether during the fights for the citadel, the Russians had the right to mobilize the inhabitants of Poznań to attack the last point of German resistance (although it seems that the fight with the hated occupier was inscribed in the psyche of the inhabitants), disposing of mostly Polish property was problematic. Meanwhile, the Russians were taking a lot out of the city, treating it as a war booty.
These were partially dismantled industrial plants, previously owned by the Germans or the German state. They also took over the management of the plants. It can be concluded, as emphasized by P. Matusik, that the control of plants significant for the front (Cegielski plant, Poznańskie Warsztaty Kolejowe or even the Pasta Factory) was necessary.
However, it is hardly justified to take away - as Matusik enumerates - 25,000 pots, 9,000 pans, and even 1,000 potties, which probably did not play a major role in the conduct of military operations. Also, the removal of the entire Telefunken factory, battery factory or several other plants did not prove friendly relations between the two countries. And Poznań is undoubtedly Polish territory.
For the sake of food for the starving
One can also agree with the thesis that at a time when the war was still going on, for the commandant's offices the priority was to organize supplies for the front. Food was just as important in this case as ammunition. It didn't have to mean starving the city, though. About 100,000 Poles lived in Poznań during this period.
The reports emphasized that, thanks to the swift front action, the Germans were unable to remove the stockpiles they had accumulated. Thus, in Poznań and its vicinity, there were thousands of tons of flour in warehouses, which would be enough to feed the city and its inhabitants.
Meanwhile Smirnow, after a long fair, allocated 8 tons of flour and two cows for meat to supply Poznań! Meanwhile, the inhabitants of Poznań had not had access to fairly normal supplies for a month (though actually throughout the occupation) and the city was starving. 8 tons of flour could not be enough and of course bread was scarce.
Collection of "citadel" on Matejki Street
In the report quoted by P. Matusik, Capt. Bardach, who was in Poznań at the turn of January and February, claimed that the situation was tragic. Historians' studies most often emphasize that the Red Army was the base for the authorities that formed in the city, connected with the new communist formation. Her presence eliminated all resistance and facilitated the building of a new reality.
Of course, I do not want to argue with this thesis, as it is largely true. The case in Poznań from February 1945 shows, however, that not entirely. The sovereignty of the Soviet commandant violated the competences of the emerging Polish authorities. Smirnov not only managed all the property, but also usurped the right to decide on the smallest matters of the city. He censored the ordinances issued by Poles, had all the transport, etc.
It was so inconvenient that the representatives of the operational group sent to Poznań to organize life decided that it could not go on like this. So let me add the story described by P. Matusik. The then deputy voivode, Capt. Stefan Kalinowski went to the commandant's office and there he declared categorically, which is difficult to imagine in the situation at that time, that if this state did not change, the Polish authorities would leave Poznań, and all responsibility would fall on the Soviet authorities.
The case of the Bazaar
However, I do not want to focus here on the disputes that broke out against this background, but to show how difficult it was for the residents of Poznań to regain Poznań also in other dimensions.
One of the symbols of Poznań, next to the famous town hall, is obviously the Bazaar. It was here that the Polish national life concentrated during the partitions, and it was here that further moves were planned to protect the Polish state of property against Germany here, finally, from the balcony in 1918, Ignacy Jan Paderewski spoke, which was the signal for the outbreak of the Greater Poland Uprising.
However, the Bazaar was not only a symbol, but also a lively retail and hotel establishment, boasting an excellent reputation. The rich basement provided every, even the most demanding customer, the opportunity to satisfy their sophisticated taste. You could find here everything for seasoned tasters of sophisticated drinks.
The occupation of Poznań by the Germans in 1939 had an impact on the situation of the Bazaar. As stated in the first post-war report:
The bazaar has survived a century of glory, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 1938, only to fall prey to German looters the following year . The robber economy of the invaders has exhausted the decades-long stockpile of bazaar wines, and the hotel has led to the rank of a secondary inn.
The text was created, among others based on the four-volume publication by Przemysław Matusik "Historia Poznania", which has just been released by the Posnania City Publishing House.
After it was taken over by the German state, its name was changed to Hotel Poznański Dwór. During the occupation, it was mostly inhabited by the army, so it was neglected. The Germans also took over all the property, and it was of considerable value. In addition to shops and a fully equipped hotel, it was just the drinks collected. The basement resources of the Bazaar were enormous. The value of the wines was as good as the value of the buildings.
At the end of August 1939 in the cellars there were bottles of alcohol worth 1.3 million zlotys. For comparison, the value of the buildings was PLN 1.5 million. However, during, and especially at the end of the war, the Bazaar was plundered of huge resources of various alcoholic beverages. Arthur Greiser, the manager of the so-called Warta country. Officers of the German army plundered substantial amounts.
Let's be fair, after the departure of the Germans, the army took 30,000. bottles, but resources were also depleted by the inhabitants of Poznań. As reported in the reports, the few pieces of equipment were also stolen by the thieves. Even bars from shops on ul. Paderewski, an iron cupboard was broken, and a 150-kilogram lift motor was stolen.
“The bazaar was on fire. People rushed into the hotel and cellars, looted and robbed in all directions, so that nothing could be saved. The bazaar was looted and burned down. " So the losses were huge. Despite this, in the basement of the partially destroyed building at ul. Kozia, there were still about 30 thousand. bottles of alcohol. The Russians also made claims to this property.
Horse carts came to the Bazaar every morning. The soldiers were to load them with the contents of the basement and transport them to Soviet army warehouses. Of course, it is not difficult to guess that the soldiers, seeing such an attractive wealth, started the day with tasting selected drinks and then continued these activities until the afternoon. The effects were obvious, in the evening the drunks had to be brought onto the carts (they were rather unable to do it themselves) and then taken to the barracks. The reprimands did not help and the described situation was repeated over the next days. In the end, the nervous commandant's office gave up transporting the wines and the cellars were blown up with dynamite.
Polish-French discussion on the occupation
The post-war history of the Bazaar also contributes to getting to know the history - and in a broader perspective. Despite the enormous damage, thanks to the efforts of the former owners, with the help of the city and the central authorities, the Bazaar was slowly rising from the ruins. It was even decided to return to the pre-war tradition and refill the cellar, which looked so attractive before the war. For this purpose, negotiations with foreign wine suppliers were started.
This fragment of the history of the Bazaar is a perfect illustration of the difference in the conditions of occupation between Poland and Western countries. Already at the end of 1945, the management board of Champagne Ernest Irroy from Reims asked the management board of the company with a reminder that the "Bazar" company was in arrears with the payment of 189 dollars for the wines delivered in 1939.
After the nightmare of the occupation, the surprise must have been caused by a fragment of a letter in which the CEO of the French company expressed the hope that the Poznań company "came out unscathed from recent accidents and that their staff is complete and healthy". The French were told that the "Bazar" company was completely destroyed as a result of the war, the staff was dispersed, and its reconstruction would take many years. The pre-war payment was also refused. Nevertheless, the French responded immediately.
While regretting the "destruction of the company", they still hoped that it would be rebuilt and that France would be able to obtain "the fine wines of Bordeaux as it used to be". For this purpose, even the current price list was sent. The transaction did not take place because the Polish authorities did not agree to import perfumes and spirits from France, although Stanisław Skrzeszewski, the then Polish ambassador to France, appreciated French "fine wines, cognacs and armagnacs".
However, the matter was not hopeless - in March 1947 the Polish-French trade agreement was finally concluded . At the "fabulous" exchange rate of the franc in relation to the zloty, the possibility of importing table wines opened up, and thanks to the kindness of the French authorities, the Bazaar could have exclusivity in this matter for Poland. Launching the import on a large scale would allow the Bazar to be restored to its former glory. After all, the company had a good tradition and a well-established brand in this matter.
Hotel Bazar nowadays
After signing the trade agreement, the French company with which Bazar had had commercial relations in the past spoke again. The cooperation proposal was also submitted by J. Lebeque &Co. The terms of cooperation she proposed were favorable, because this time they were aware of the fact that the consequences of the war in Poland were different than in France, and therefore, in the current situation, buying for cash was not an option, so they agreed to exchange " commodity for commodity ”.
However, the bazaar did not regain its former glory. Stalinism, which was spreading to all areas of life in Poland, eliminated private economic activity, and also cut off contacts with the West. A gloomy period began, so aptly characterized by P. Matusik. The residents of Poznań could only dream of French wines and cognacs.