Society of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Society of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy (Polish: Związek Bojowników o Wolność i Demokrację, ZBoWiD) was an official Polish state-controlled veterans association. Initially headed by Franciszek Jóźwiak, it was formed on September 2, 1949 out of 11 pre-existing veterans associations. In the early period, and especially during the stalinist years, the organization was formed mostly of former veterans of the Soviet-sponsored Polish People's Army, communist partisans and former concentration camp inmates. However, with the advent of a certain political thaw in 1960s it also started accepting the veterans of other Polish formations fighting in World War II.

Directly subordinate to the party, the society held also an important place within the Polish governmental structure: it was the only authority certifying the veteran's and combatant's rights and privileges in Poland. In 1970 the ZBoWiD had roughly 330,000 members, in 1986 - almost 800,000. In April 1990 it was reformed into the Związek Kombatantów RP i Byłych Więźniów Politycznych (Society of Veterans of the Republic of Poland and Former Political Prisoners).

Among the leaders of ZBoWiD were also Mieczysław Moczar and Włodzimierz Sokorski.