122:
22:
581:. He was seen as a tough man for a tough task, as at that time the region experienced constant attacks from Communist activists and Soviet spies, as well as acts of violence by the Ukrainian terrorist groups. As a voivode he supervised the creation and daily operations of another infamous political prison, the
561:. According to various accounts, the fortress' commanding officer was particularly brutal against the incarcerated politicians, forcing them to do tedious and humiliating tasks, beating them and even staging executions without actually shooting them. While his actions resulted in complete pacification of anti-
486:
part in the riot, he was openly accused by some members of parliament and the press of attempting to start a workers' revolution with the aim of overthrowing the government. Because of that he was discharged from the army and arrested by the military police – a force he himself created within the Polish Army.
485:
Infantry
Regiment. In that role he took part in the infamous riots in Kraków on 6 November 1923. Factory workers' demonstration turned into a riot and city fights erupted, leaving 31 dead and more than 100 civilians wounded. While Kostek-Biernacki argued he was in Kraków on vacations and did not take
565:
opposition, he himself became particularly infamous and often presented in the press as a man without honour and Piłsudski's bull-terrier. He was disliked by the officer corps and even the
Sanacja politicians, whom he personally supported. In the end he was discharged from the army and demobilised.
676:
Wacław Kostek-Biernacki, once a
Colonel of the Polish Army and one of the highest-ranking officials of Poland's administration spent the rest of his days in poverty, searching for his son Leszek Biernacki, whom he met for the last time in 1939. Unknowingly to him his son, a member of the
493:
finally started. However, due to political reasons the tribunal never discussed his true involvement in the Kraków riots two years before and instead acquitted him of all charges based on procedural reasons. He was again accepted into the army in the rank of
285:. Under their influence Biernacki became actively involved in party's underground activities in all three partitions. By 1905 he devoted himself solely to party activities and abandoned his university career without a diploma. Within the structures of the
617:
appointed him as Chief
Civilian Commissioner (CCO), a wartime position at the rank of minister; a CCO was supposed to govern most of public administration on territories forming part of military operational area. His work as a CCO during the
638:
in
Romanian captivity. In the autumn of 1945 the then-ruling Communists of Romania handed him over to the newly imposed communist government of Poland. He was immediately arrested and imprisoned in the infamous
542:(Colonel). During that period he also authored numerous memoirs and monographs on the activities of the PPS and its Combat Organisation, some of which remained best-sellers for most of the 1920s and 1930s.
622:
was short-lived and climaxed in a series of decrees issued around 10 September 1939; the most important of them militarised the police. Already on 17 September the Soviet Union fulfilled its pacts with
189:(Ghastly guest) under the pen name Brunon Kostecki. The book featured six titles: "Twarda proswirka", "Straszny gość", "Zdradliwe żonki", "Zmora", "Kamienne krzyże", and "Chytrość Marusi". After the
304:, Kostek-Biernacki was frequently arrested by tsarist authorities, but he was never caught red-handed and was usually released soon afterwards. Among the most notable of his actions was an armed
331:
Constantly risking arrest and life imprisonment or forced resettlement to
Siberia (a common penalty in Russia until the mid-20th century), he once again fled to Galicia, this time settling in
741:
Collection of short stories and novellas. First published in 1932. Featuring: "Twarda proswirka", "Straszny gość", "Zdradliwe żonki", "Zmora", "Kamienne krzyże", and "Chytrość Marusi".
802:
414:, for treason, collaboration with the Russians or attempts at harming the Austro-Hungarian war effort. At the same time he also became known as the author of a popular song on
651:. Constantly tortured, he suffered from numerous diseases, but was deprived of any medical assistance or even contact with his family. It was not until 10 April 1953 that his
312:
and numerous assaults on tsarist officials in Warsaw. He was arrested in Piotrków in 1906, and again in Warsaw in 1907. Released, he returned to his duties within the PPS in
667:, later changed to 10 years in prison. His health however deteriorated rapidly, and on 9 November 1955 he was released from prison – 10 years to the day after his arrest.
538:
movement and his former commander Józef Piłsudski himself. The new authorities of Poland did not forget about his merits either and in 1930 he was promoted to the rank of
286:
281:. There he met some of the main politicians of the Polish Socialist Party (PPS) who were at that time residing in relatively peaceful Galicia, including PPS's chief
209:." His sentence was commuted to 10 years in prison. His books were deliberately destroyed. Biernacki was released after being amnestied in 1955, and died in 1957.
906:
363:
His terrorist past and military training in France and
Algeria made Wacław Kostek-Biernacki one of the best-trained military leaders the PPS and its leader
671:
663:, actions against the "revolutionary movement" and "denationalisation of Belarusians and Ukrainians". The show trial lasted four days and sentenced him to
449:
In
November 1918 Poland regained her independence and Kostek-Biernacki was released from the POW camp. He moved to Kraków, where he immediately joined the
39:
585:. At the same time he also successfully petitioned the government for aid for the poorest region of Poland and started a tedious task of meliorating the
574:
549:
under Kostek-Biernacki's command became infamous in Poland as a political prison, where a number of leftist politicians had been incarcerated prior to
339:. Under pressure from Russian diplomats the authorities of Austria-Hungary refused and Kostek-Biernacki had to flee to France, where he joined the
454:
250:, initially mostly as a leaflet courier. In 1902, at the age of 18, he organised a city-wide riot against forcing the school pupils to sing the
167:
178:; nonetheless, he also took a lot of interest in it, often to the detriment of communist prisoners whose sentences were sometimes prolonged
86:
527:
379:. He also returned to the John Casimir University to finish his medical studies and underwent the officers' military training within the
58:
139:) as well as a Polish soldier of World War II, imprisoned and blacklisted in Stalinist Poland. In his youth, he was an activist in the
832:
105:
65:
273:(modern L'viv, Ukraine, then a predominantly Polish city and the capital of Galicia). In 1903 he joined the medical faculty of the
886:
627:
and attacked Poland from the rear. The following day the entire Polish government with Kostek-Biernacki was forced to cross the
530:, which however was never proven. In any case, around that time Wacław Kostek-Biernacki was made the military area commander of
392:
777:
402:
Beloved by his fellow soldiers of the
Legions, Kostek-Biernacki became also somewhat feared by the civilian population of the
72:
43:
534:, first informally and then since 1930– officially. While neutral during the coup d'état, he was strongly supportive of the
355:, his former colleague and collaborator from the PPS. The latter helped him defect the Foreign Legion and return to Poland.
388:
148:
54:
901:
896:
450:
242:
for taking part in an anti-Russian demonstration. Around that time he started cooperating for the – illegal in Russia –
144:
523:
507:
499:
474:
466:
482:
701:
Jak oni!" (1909) – short stories collection, fiction about revolutionaries, partially based on personal experiences
198:
32:
376:
190:
891:
368:
255:
522:
Wacław Kostek-Biernacki remained neutral, supporting neither Piłsudski nor the government. The press and the
478:
274:
254:, for which he was finally dismissed from his school and forced to leave Lublin. He crossed the border with
526:
opposing Piłsudski speculated, that Kostek-Biernacki might have been involved in the disappearance of Gen.
758:
582:
247:
243:
175:
140:
79:
313:
185:
Also in 1932, Kostek-Biernacki published his best-known collection of horror stories and novellas called
470:
380:
340:
590:
531:
473:
of 1920, he did not take part in the fights however. In early 1921 he became a deputy commander of the
415:
364:
282:
152:
881:
876:
231:
589:, the least-populated area of Poland back then. He was also the chief initiator of creation of the
578:
171:
664:
619:
411:
325:
320:, Warsaw and Lublin. In 1907 he was yet again arrested and imprisoned in the heavy prison at the
251:
235:
614:
631:
border. There, under pressure from France, they were interned for the duration of hostilities.
197:
until 1944, and deported back to Poland by
Romanian communists in 1945. He was arrested by the
121:
828:
796:
640:
519:
490:
348:
202:
156:
569:
This however did not end his political career as already on 1 July 1931 he had been made the
845:
610:
372:
352:
336:
278:
174:
from 1932 to 1939. Only in his capacity of a voivode, he supervised the operation of nearby
586:
558:
435:
419:
403:
546:
324:. However, already on 25 May 1907 he staged a successful escape together with 20 other
227:
870:
762:
431:
407:
321:
305:
290:
309:
853:
635:
624:
606:
562:
495:
396:
539:
469:
Infantry Regiment. He officially served as an officer in that regiment during the
297:(diminutive of the given name of Konstanty), which he later added to his surname.
300:
For his actions against Russian authorities, many of which were bordering modern
554:
503:
458:
427:
384:
259:
21:
734:
652:
648:
605:
Wacław Kostek-Biernacki remained the voivode of Polesie until the outbreak of
205:, he was sentenced to death in April 1953 on the false charge of "supporting
681:, perished in a skirmish with the Germans in 1943. Kostek-Biernacki died in
678:
644:
301:
686:
332:
132:(1882–1957) was a Polish interwar politician and a popular fantasy writer (
193:
in 1939 he left Poland with the evacuating government. He was interned in
710:"Straszny gość" (1931) – collection of well received horror stories from
594:
133:
658:
628:
570:
535:
462:
344:
270:
239:
206:
194:
163:
434:
together with a large group of former soldiers of the Legions. In the
347:, where he took part in fights against the natives in the vicinity of
682:
263:
223:
375:. He also closely cooperated with the structures of the then-legal
711:
317:
120:
550:
430:
of 1917 and Legions' switching sides, Biernacki was interned in
367:
had at their disposal. After his return to Poland he joined the
15:
697:
Kostek-Biernacki was the author of several books, including:
597:
road, the most modern road built in Poland between the wars.
502:
Infantry Regiment, and then as the commanding officer of the
426:), popular in Poland even in the 21st century. Following the
391:. He served initially as a chief of military police of the
238:
there, but already in 1895 he was briefly arrested by the
685:
on 25 May 1957 and was buried in a parochial cemetery in
395:. On 9 November that year he was promoted to the rank of
351:. However, the following year he restored contacts with
825:
Droga ku anatemie. Wacław Kostek-Biernacki (1884–1957)
823:
except justice, railways and posts, Piotr Cichoracki,
489:
It was not until April 1925 that his trial before a
387:, already in July 1914, Kostek-Biernacki joined the
634:Wacław Kostek-Biernacki spent the entire period of
46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
784:. Archived from the original on September 15, 2008
735:Kostecki Brunon (właśc. Kostek-Biernacki Wacław),
577:, and the following year he became the voivode of
438:camp he founded a camp library, satirical journal
222:Wacław Biernacki was born on 28 September 1884 in
287:Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist Party
801:: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
477:Infantry Regiment, and then briefly served as a
147:during World War I. Kostek-Biernacki joined the
269:His parents sponsored his further education in
753:
751:
647:, initially together with a Nazi war criminal
613:. On 2 September 1939 the president of Poland
406:. As chief of military police he presided the
371:(ZWC), where he became the main instructor of
201:and after eight years without trial spent in
8:
643:. Waiting for his trial he spent 8 years on
410:and signed most sentences, often as high as
277:and at the same time started studies at the
106:Learn how and when to remove this message
707:Szlakami buntu" (1911) – novel, as above
672:Stalinist show trial of the Kraków Curia
727:
704:"Na ulicach Warszawy" (1911) – as above
553:elections, in what became known as the
545:Already in the Autumn of that year the
461:, in early 1919 he was attached to the
418:entitled "Song of the dear commander" (
343:. Already in 1908 he was dispatched to
794:
907:Soldiers of the French Foreign Legion
655:finally started. He was charged with
7:
44:adding citations to reliable sources
14:
20:
717:"Ułan dyżurny" (1939) – memoirs
404:formerly Russian part of Poland
359:World War I and military career
31:needs additional citations for
743:Seria wydawnicza: Majstersztyk
714:, perhaps his most famous work
279:Imperial Polytechnical Academy
1:
766:. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
149:Polish Legions in World War I
125:Wacław Kostek-Biernacki, 1914
455:Polish intelligence services
451:Polish Military Organisation
145:Polish Military Organisation
782:by Wacław Kostek Biernacki"
528:Włodzimierz Ostoja-Zagórski
143:, and member of the secret
923:
844:Mikołaj Falkowski (2008).
669:
446:) and a prisoner theatre.
170:from 1931 to 1932, and of
118:Polish interwar politician
846:"Wacław Kostek-Biernacki"
191:German invasion of Poland
55:"Wacław Kostek-Biernacki"
850:HISTORIA.polskieradio.pl
759:Wacław Kostek-Biernacki.
383:. After the outbreak of
369:Union of Active Struggle
887:Politicians from Lublin
807:, including biography.
498:, initially within the
275:John Casimir University
262:and finally passed his
252:Russian national anthem
199:Communist secret police
130:Wacław Kostek-Biernacki
583:Bereza Kartuska prison
575:Nowogródek voivodeship
423:
393:1st Brigade (en cadre)
377:Riflemen's Association
258:, where he settled in
248:Polish National League
244:Polish Socialist Party
168:Nowogródek Voivodeship
141:Polish Socialist Party
126:
609:in the effect of the
471:Polish-Bolshevist War
457:. Mobilised into the
453:, the predecessor of
381:Austro-Hungarian Army
341:French Foreign Legion
335:, where he requested
124:
775:Włodzimierz Jurasz,
40:improve this article
902:Writers from Lublin
897:Polish male writers
757:Mikołaj Falkowski,
579:Polesie voivodeship
510:Infantry Regiment.
424:Pieśń o wodzu miłym
326:political prisoners
172:Polesie Voivodeship
155:. He supported the
665:capital punishment
661:of life in Poland"
620:Invasion of Poland
573:(governor) of the
524:National Democrats
481:leader within the
412:capital punishment
399:(2nd Lieutenant).
232:partitioned Poland
127:
827:, Warszawa 2009,
491:military tribunal
234:. He started his
116:
115:
108:
90:
914:
863:
861:
860:
836:
821:
815:
814:
806:
800:
792:
790:
789:
773:
767:
755:
746:
732:
611:Nazi-Soviet Pact
514:Political career
373:infantry tactics
337:political asylum
314:Dąbrowa Górnicza
181:
180:extra-judicially
111:
104:
100:
97:
91:
89:
48:
24:
16:
922:
921:
917:
916:
915:
913:
912:
911:
892:Polish soldiers
867:
866:
858:
856:
843:
840:
839:
822:
818:
812:
793:
787:
785:
776:
774:
770:
756:
749:
733:
729:
724:
695:
674:
615:Ignacy Mościcki
603:
591:Brześć Litewski
587:Polesie Marshes
559:Brest elections
532:Brześć Litewski
520:May Coup d'État
516:
440:Sprzymierzeniec
436:prisoner of war
416:Józef Piłsudski
365:Józef Piłsudski
361:
283:Józef Piłsudski
220:
215:
179:
176:Bereza Kartuska
157:May Coup d'État
153:Józef Piłsudski
137:Brunon Kostecki
119:
112:
101:
95:
92:
49:
47:
37:
25:
12:
11:
5:
920:
918:
910:
909:
904:
899:
894:
889:
884:
879:
869:
868:
865:
864:
838:
837:
816:
809:NaszeMiasto.pl
768:
747:
726:
725:
723:
720:
719:
718:
715:
708:
705:
702:
694:
691:
641:Mokotów Prison
602:
599:
547:Brest Fortress
515:
512:
389:Polish Legions
360:
357:
349:Sidi Bel Abbès
230:-held part of
226:, then in the
219:
216:
214:
211:
203:Mokotów Prison
117:
114:
113:
28:
26:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
919:
908:
905:
903:
900:
898:
895:
893:
890:
888:
885:
883:
880:
878:
875:
874:
872:
855:
852:(in Polish).
851:
847:
842:
841:
834:
833:9788376290935
830:
826:
820:
817:
810:
804:
798:
783:
781:
780:Straszny gość
772:
769:
765:
764:
763:Polskie Radio
760:
754:
752:
748:
744:
740:
738:
737:Straszny gość
731:
728:
721:
716:
713:
709:
706:
703:
700:
699:
698:
692:
690:
688:
684:
680:
673:
668:
666:
662:
660:
654:
650:
646:
642:
637:
632:
630:
626:
621:
616:
612:
608:
600:
598:
596:
592:
588:
584:
580:
576:
572:
567:
564:
560:
556:
552:
548:
543:
541:
537:
533:
529:
525:
521:
513:
511:
509:
505:
501:
497:
492:
487:
484:
480:
476:
472:
468:
464:
460:
456:
452:
447:
445:
441:
437:
433:
429:
425:
421:
417:
413:
409:
408:court martial
405:
400:
398:
394:
390:
386:
382:
378:
374:
370:
366:
358:
356:
354:
353:Walery Sławek
350:
346:
342:
338:
334:
329:
327:
323:
322:Lublin Castle
319:
315:
311:
307:
306:train robbery
303:
298:
296:
292:
291:nom-de-guerre
289:he adopted a
288:
284:
280:
276:
272:
267:
265:
261:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
217:
212:
210:
208:
204:
200:
196:
192:
188:
187:Straszny gość
183:
177:
173:
169:
165:
160:
158:
154:
150:
146:
142:
138:
135:
131:
123:
110:
107:
99:
88:
85:
81:
78:
74:
71:
67:
64:
60:
57: –
56:
52:
51:Find sources:
45:
41:
35:
34:
29:This article
27:
23:
18:
17:
857:. Retrieved
854:Polish Radio
849:
824:
819:
808:
786:. Retrieved
779:
771:
761:
742:
736:
730:
696:
693:Bibliography
675:
656:
636:World War II
633:
625:Nazi Germany
607:World War II
604:
568:
563:Pilsudskiite
544:
517:
488:
448:
443:
439:
401:
397:podporucznik
362:
330:
299:
294:
268:
221:
186:
184:
161:
136:
129:
128:
102:
93:
83:
76:
69:
62:
50:
38:Please help
33:verification
30:
882:1957 deaths
877:1882 births
813:(in Polish)
659:fascisation
555:Brest trial
518:During the
459:Polish Army
428:Oath Crisis
385:World War I
871:Categories
859:2010-01-14
788:2007-11-28
722:References
670:See also:
653:show trial
649:Erich Koch
601:Later life
432:Beniaminów
218:Early life
66:newspapers
679:Home Army
645:death row
540:pułkownik
302:terrorism
236:gymnasium
213:Biography
162:He was a
159:of 1926.
96:June 2021
835:, p. 370
797:cite web
629:Romanian
557:and the
504:Przemyśl
260:Brzeżany
246:and the
134:pen name
571:voivode
536:Sanacja
506:-based
479:company
465:-based
463:Siedlce
345:Algeria
310:Sławków
256:Galicia
240:Okhrana
228:Russian
207:fascism
195:Romania
164:Voivode
80:scholar
831:
687:Grójec
683:Warsaw
420:Polish
333:Kraków
295:Kostek
266:exam.
264:matura
224:Lublin
151:under
82:
75:
68:
61:
53:
712:Kresy
595:Pińsk
496:Major
318:Radom
87:JSTOR
73:books
829:ISBN
803:link
551:Sejm
508:38th
500:78th
475:43rd
467:22nd
444:Ally
271:Lwów
59:news
483:4th
308:in
293:of
166:of
42:by
873::
848:.
811:.
799:}}
795:{{
750:^
689:.
422::
328:.
316:,
182:.
862:.
805:)
791:.
778:"
745:.
739:.
657:"
593:-
442:(
109:)
103:(
98:)
94:(
84:·
77:·
70:·
63:·
36:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
