Kazimierz Moczarski
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Kazimierz Damazy Moczarski (Pseudonyms: Borsuk, Grawer, Maurcy, Rafal) (1907 - 1975) was an officer of the Polish Home Army. He was (Lieutenant in 1944, Captain in 1945), and a journalist. He was primarily known for his book “Conversations with an Executioner”, a series of interviews with a fellow prisoner, the Nazi war criminal Jurgen Stroop.
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[edit] Early life
Born on July 21, 1907 in Warsaw, son of Jan Damazy, teacher, principal of a middle school and Michalina Franciszka (nee Wodzinowska), teacher. In October 1926, he began studying Law at Warsaw University. During his studies, he was called up to the Reserve Infantry Battalion at Bereza Kartuska. This lasted between August 1929 and June 1930. In December of 1932, after graduation, he continued his studies at the Journalism College at Warsaw, and in 1933 he took up studies at Institut des Hautes Études Internationales at Paris University. In 1935 returned to Warsaw, becoming an advisor to the Ministry of Labor and Social Services, his specialty was Polish and International Law regulations.
Active in several fields, he was a member of the “Youth Legion”, and a member of a radical organization “Labor Club Maurycy Mochnacki”. In 1937, he took part in the organization of the Democratic Club at Warsaw (the first meeting took place at his Warsaw apartment).
[edit] World War II
During the 1939 Polish-German September campaign, Moczarski was commander of a platoon which was part of 30th Infantry Division, and also participated in the defence of Warsaw.
Later, in German-occupied Warsaw, Moczarski was an active member of the secret Democratic Party, also participating in anti-German activity Armia Krajowa (Home Army). In the Home Army, Moczarski (then an Ensign) was a member of the Information Department (under pseudonym “Rafal”). As of late Fall 1943, he concentrated his effort on the military intelligence and propaganda (BiP) department of Warsaw’s Home Army District. Since May 1944, Moczarski (under the new pseudonym “Maurycy”) took the post of the Head of Department of Personal sabotage. Its task was to fight Polish traitors and German informers and Moczarski was regarded as a highly qualified in this field. It was his idea to recapture Polish prisoners, incarcerated by Germans at the Jan Bozy Hospital in Warsaw (June 11, 1944)
[edit] Warsaw Uprising
Shortly before the Warsaw Uprising he was given a new post - of the head of radio and telegraph services of Home Army’s Headquarters. During the uprising Moczarski was directing one of the radio stations - “Rafal”, located at Warsaw’s district Srodmiescie-Polnoc. In September 1944 he moved to another station - “Danuta”, located at 16 Widok street. At the same time he was editor-in-chief of “Wiadomości Powstancze” (“Uprising News”) - a regional, daily addition to the Home Army’s “Biuletyn Informacyjny” (“Information Bulletin”). On September 14, 1944, he was promoted to the post of reserve Lieutenant.
After the collapse of Warsaw Uprising, on October 7, 1944, together with a group of coworkers from BiP, he left the city, but shortly afterwards returned, helping with the escape of Jan Stanisław Jankowski - the delegate of Polish Government in Exile. Later on, he continued his underground activities, changing in late Fall of 1944 his nickname to “Grawer”. As of mid-October he was the head of the Home Army’s BiP (Information and Propaganda) office. He was trying to restore the BiP, as the office was destroyed during the uprising.
[edit] After the WWII
In the first months of 1945, using another nickname “Borsuk”, Moczarski was still the head of the BiP, which was part of headquarters of a newly organized Home Army’s continutation - Delegature of the Polish Forces at Home (DSZ). Moczarski, together with Wlodzimierz Lechowicz and Zygmunt Kapitaniak, was the co-author of a memorial which stipulated that former Home Army soldiers should disclose. On July 24, 1945, together with Colonel Jan Rzepecki (head of DSZ) he issued an order entitled “To former soldiers of Home Army” which stated:
“Do not listen to those who incite you to destruction, to creation of underground armed forces, to political burglary (...) Start up a public reconstruction of Poland, on all fields”
[edit] Arrest
On August 11, 1945, five days after disband of DSZ, Moczarski was arrested by Communist authorities. On January 18, 1946, he was sentenced by Military Court to 10 years, but in February of 1947 the sentence was shortened to 5 years. In spite of his sentence’s fulfillment, Moczarski was not released from Warsaw’s Mokotów Prison. In his ward, he stayed for some time with two German SS-men - SS-Sturmbannführer of BdS Krakau Gustaw Schielke and SS-Brigadeführer Jürgen Stroop. As a result of this, several years later he wrote a famous, fascinating book “Rozmowy z katem” (“Conversations with an Executioner”). The publication is the result of Moczarski’s conversations with Stroop and gives an interesting view on the mind of a SS-man (Stroop was responsible for the destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto).
In 1952 a new trial was opened and by the decision of Warsaw’s District Court Moczarski was sentenced to death (November 18, 1952). Almost one year later (November 8, 1952) the sentence was changed to life in prison. However, the inmate, staying in death row, was informed of it only in January of 1955.
[edit] Late life
Released from prison on June 24, 1956, in December of the same year Moczarski was cleared of all previous charges. After release, he joined the Democratic Party. He also worked as a journalist at the “Kurier Polski" (“Polish Courier”) newspaper, being responsible for contacts with readers. Active in the anti-alcohol movement, for some time he was editor-in-chief of a “Problemy Alkoholizmu” magazine.
In April 1972 in “Odra” monthly the first part of “Conversations with an Executioner” was published. The story in parts continued to run until February 1974, and as a book was issued in 1977. Unfortunately, Moczarski did not witness publication of his book. He died on September 27, 1975 in Warsaw.
