The resources of the Poznań branch of the Reichsbank were packed in crates and loaded onto trucks. They waited only for the signal to leave. How did Polish activists prevent this?
When Józef Piłsudski took power in Warsaw, the status of many Polish lands remained uncertain. Which does not mean that their inhabitants rested on their laurels. There were, of course, groups seeking to join the reborn state. In Greater Poland, most likely at the beginning of 1918, the Polish Military Organization of the Prussian Partition was established, which started cooperation with the Galician POW.
However, the Poles in Poznań did not have an easy task. The revolution reached the city, which at the turn of October and November 1918 swept almost all of Germany. The actual power was taken over by the German-dominated Workers 'and Soldiers' Council. And since the new hosts did not feel too confident, they wanted, just in case ... to take away their gold stocks from the Poznań branch of the Reichsbank .
"Everything was packed in crates ..."
It was decided to carry out the action on the night of November 12-13, 1918. This is how Stanisław Jóźwiak, one of the members of POWZP told about it a year after the events:
Everything was packed in crates and designated officials who were to transport the gold to Berlin by trucks erected by the air station in Ławica. These cars were waiting from 12 to 5 in the morning for St. Marcin at the “Posener Zeitung” printing house.
The building of the National Bank of Poland. It was in this building that the branch of the Reichsbank was based.
Fortunately, the Poles learned about the operation plans in time and - although the time was short - decided to spoil the Germans. And, by the way, take over the precious metal to serve the Polish cause. As reported by Jóźwiak, one of the main participants of the action:
Those who wrote these words, Kubicki's chauffeur and a few others, whose names I do not remember, went with hand grenades and rifles to the Reichsbank building, simulating a patrol sent by the Soldiers' Council for the defense of this transport.
The plan was that on the Berlin highway one truck was to be crushed with hand grenades, chauffeurs were overwhelmed and the money was transferred to the car, which was to be driven by Kubicki. This treasure was to be taken to W. Garbary and put at the disposal of the POW .
Success?
Without further ado, the Poznań peowiaks started to act. For some time everything was going according to plan - the Poles successfully pretended to be the patrol sent by the principals. Unfortunately, it did not last long:one of the participants of the action was not careful and ... started to speak Polish! No wonder it aroused the suspicion of bank officials. They immediately demanded an ID from the "patrol", which the Poles obviously did not have.
What's worse, real escorts arrived at the designated place shortly after. "Ours had to give in," wrote the POWZP activist Karol Kandziora years later. It seemed that everything was lost and the gold would leave Wielkopolska in accordance with the instructions of the Soldiers' Council .
However, this did not happen. Peowiacy, as reported by Kandziora, "watched the course of the actions of the Germans from hiding, but they refrained from taking the money that night, fearing an attack by the Poles " . Although not entirely successful, the operation was partially successful. We did not manage to take over the gold, but at least it stayed in Poland .
It was not the only risky intervention carried out by the POWZP. For example, they managed to steal 80 kilograms of files from the command of the 5th Army Corps and seize the military barracks on Rycerska Street. They also carried out the "attack on the Town Hall", introducing their members to the Workers 'and Soldiers' Council. And - of course - they were instrumental in the preparation of the Greater Poland Uprising, which broke out in December 1918.
Inspiration:
This article was inspired by a novel by Piotr Bojarski entitled "Cwaniaki" . Describing the fate of Poznań residents in German uniforms, who are preparing the Greater Poland Uprising in the ranks of the Polish Military Organization of the Prussian Partition.