Polish National Relief Fund (Polski Skarb Narodowy)Creation, activities and dissolution of the Fund (1948 - 1991)
by Artur Zygmont
The creation of a Polish National Relief Fund was not a new idea. It actually started during Kosciuszko's insurrection against Tsarist Russia in 1794, when he asked all citizens to contribute money so that insurgent units would be well armed and provided for. A similar appeal was enacted in 1863 by Romuald Traugutt, the supreme commander during the January Uprising, also against Russia.
During World War l, Jozef Pilsudski, a leading fighter for Poland's independence, called a National Fund into existence. Finally, after World War II, the idea of creating a fund for Polish independence once again proved to be necessary, due to the actions of the Soviet Union, the United States and Great Britain, particularly the former. As a result of the Allied victory, Poland did not regain independence but was, instead, partitioned in part (the Eastern part) and a communist satellite government installed.
Many Poles, some of whom had spent nearly six years fighting the German Nazi war machine were unable or unwilling to return to an occupied and Communist-dominated Poland. Instead, wherever they lived, they campaigned for a free and independent Poland and supported the legitimate Polish government-in-exile in London. It was there that the Polish National Relief Fund was created in 1948, proposed by General Wladyslaw Anders, hero of the Italian campaign, and promoted by Ludwik Lubienski. Subsequently, some 50 regional chapters were established throughout the world.
Its primary purpose was to provide financial support to the Polish government-in-exile in London by free Poles living in the West and also to assure that the Polish Government in London was financially independent and not subject to subsidies or loans from foreign governments and other vested interests.
In 1957, following the influx of hundreds of Polish families from Great Britain and other countries, a support group for the relief fund was organized in Los Angeles. Founding members included: Teodor Bartos, Jan Demant, Mieczyslaw Dybek, Rajmund Habermann, D.M. Kasprzycki, Kazimierz Lazowski, Matylda Miloslawska, John Miloslawski, Edward Ostrow, Zbigniew Ruttie, Edward Skirmont, Adam Stefanowski and B. A. Zaremba.
Each year, a variety of fund raisers was organized with all proceeds, less administrative costs, going directly to the Principal Treasury Commission of the Polish government-in-exile. Approximately $2,000.00 was sent annually from California, making it the most productive chapter in the United States, notwithstanding the relatively numerically small Polonia.
Subsequently, the Polish National Relief Committee in California was expanded in 1984, with operations in San Francisco, under the direction of Kazimierz Porebski, R. Jacak and J. Ksiezopolski. Three years later, a Santa Barbara branch was organized by Irena and Andrzej Pleszczynski and Ewa and Witold Brabec.
Presidents of the Polish National Relief Committee in California from its inception include Kazimierz Lazowski, S. Janczak, Adam Krzemuski, Wladyslaw Wielkoszewski, Dr. Olgierd Klejnot, Dr. Tadeusz Rowinski and Krystyna Zielkiewicz.
In 1991, Ryszard Kaczorowski, President of the Polish Government-ln Exile, dissolved the Polish National Relief Fund, following the first free election for president and transferred his powers to President Walesa.
In California, the official end of the committee's work took place on June 30, 1991. On that date, a Mass was celebrated at the Our Lady of the Bright Mount Catholic Church in Los Angeles. Principal celebrants were Provincial of the Society of Christ, Reverend Tadeusz Winnicki, assisted by Reverends Marian Ogorek and Tadeusz Ziolkowski. The Mass was followed by a reception at the residence of Krystyna and Zbigniew Zielkiewicz, at which certificates of appreciation were awarded to the most valued members and also to the generous donors. Emblems of the Skarb Narodowy were presented to members of the Polish Consulate in Los Angeles: Consul General Jan Szewc and Consuls Krzysztof Kasprzyk and Wojciech Siewierski. This concluded 34 years of the committee's work.
The last Board of Directors included; Krystyna Zielkiewicz, President; Dr. Olgierd Klejnot, Vice-President; Kazimierz Krecicki, Treasurer; Zbigniew Kowalski, Secretary; Teodosia Trzeniowska and Zbigniew Zielkiewicz, members.
From: Polish Americans in California, vol. II. National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs & Polish American Historical Association. California 1995.