Object numberM2019/031:041
DescriptionArticle about the fate of Polish journalists following the German invasion of Poland and the journey of Henryk Gostin, his wife Rosalie Gostin (nee Roth) and his daughter Liz Sapir (nee Gostin). In this piece, Henryk mentions that he and his family stayed in a boarding house in 1940 which was filled with other journalists and was run by Boleslaw Szczepkowski, editor at the Morning Express. He also outlines the difficulty that polish journalist faced in trying to find employment during the war. Though the boarding house was shut by Soviets, Henryk states that they were not broken by this and instead, ‘It is obvious that they went underground and there with a pen were fighting for independence and free democratic Poland’. The date of piece is unknown.
This object is a part of a larger collection donated by Liz Sapir (formally Elizabeth/ Elzbieta) (nee Gostynski/Gostin), born 3 July 1937 in Poland. Her mother, Rosalie (Rosalia/ Rozalja) Zuinta Gostin (formally Gostynski) (nee Roth), was born 5 July 1911 in Lublin. Her father Henryk (Henry/ Hillee) Gostin (formally Gostynski), was born 15 July 1908 in Tomazow Mazowiecki, Poland. Rosalie and Henry met in Lublin following their individual studies and were married in 1934. In 1937 they had their only child, Elizabeth. In 1939, with the invasion of Poland by German forces and the outbreak of the Second World War, the family accompanied by Rosalie’s brother, Henry Roth (also known as Hirsz), fled Poland. The family travelled to the Romanian border, however bad weather and heavy security prevented them from crossing. They attempted to return to Poland with Russian troops but were only able to make it as far as Lvov where they remained from September 1939 to January 1940. From Lvov, the group travelled separately to Wilna, Lithuania. In Wilna they secured visas to Japan from the Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara. From Wilna, they went by train via the Trans-Siberian Railway, before boarding a boat to Japan, landing in Tsuruga in 1941. On 3 July 1941, they left Kobe and immigrated to Australia, arriving in Sydney 9 August 1941. Once in Australia and for the duration of the war, Henry secured a job as an Australian correspondent for two polish newspapers, ‘Nowy Swiat’ or ‘New World’ published in New York and ‘Dziennik Polski’ published in London. The family settled in Bellevue Hill in Sydney, where they remained until their death.
This object is a part of a larger collection donated by Liz Sapir (formally Elizabeth/ Elzbieta) (nee Gostynski/Gostin), born 3 July 1937 in Poland. Her mother, Rosalie (Rosalia/ Rozalja) Zuinta Gostin (formally Gostynski) (nee Roth), was born 5 July 1911 in Lublin. Her father Henryk (Henry/ Hillee) Gostin (formally Gostynski), was born 15 July 1908 in Tomazow Mazowiecki, Poland. Rosalie and Henry met in Lublin following their individual studies and were married in 1934. In 1937 they had their only child, Elizabeth. In 1939, with the invasion of Poland by German forces and the outbreak of the Second World War, the family accompanied by Rosalie’s brother, Henry Roth (also known as Hirsz), fled Poland. The family travelled to the Romanian border, however bad weather and heavy security prevented them from crossing. They attempted to return to Poland with Russian troops but were only able to make it as far as Lvov where they remained from September 1939 to January 1940. From Lvov, the group travelled separately to Wilna, Lithuania. In Wilna they secured visas to Japan from the Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara. From Wilna, they went by train via the Trans-Siberian Railway, before boarding a boat to Japan, landing in Tsuruga in 1941. On 3 July 1941, they left Kobe and immigrated to Australia, arriving in Sydney 9 August 1941. Once in Australia and for the duration of the war, Henry secured a job as an Australian correspondent for two polish newspapers, ‘Nowy Swiat’ or ‘New World’ published in New York and ‘Dziennik Polski’ published in London. The family settled in Bellevue Hill in Sydney, where they remained until their death.
Production placeSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Production date 1941 - 1942
Subjectrefugees, journalists, escape
Object namearticles
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 209.00 mm
height: 335.00 mm
Language
- Polish After the tragedy of September 1939, some Polish journalists that could not escape to Romania and Hungary went to Vilna, which was occupied already by Latvians.
Journalists found themselves in a deplorable financial situation completely relying on people’s charity.
Thanks to the Red Cross and JOINT there was a shelter organised to which the literary fraternity was included and they organised a journalist Boarding House and Polish literary entity. The person that was at the helm of this organisation was Boleslaw Szczepkowski, editor at the Morning Express, and also an author of a book “Niedzwiedz” (“A bear”), it had a print in the New World in America.
This was not an ordinary soup kitchen or an overnight place but it was a place concentrating the Polish intelligentsia residing in Vilna as immigrants. The residents of that Boarding House were famous individuals in journalism and from the world of literature; at least they had a roof over their heads and a spoon of warm food so they could apply themselves to the needs of Polish people in Vilna.
Here was a workshop of Polish words at a time when there was an action against the Polish language and literature to be eliminated from Vilna. In this Boarding House, they declared war and from here followed words of encouragement and belief for a better tomorrow, calling on Poles to have strength and faith.
_________
After nightmarish wonderings with family from Lvov to Vilna through the green border we reached Gedimina on 1st March of 1940, the Boarding House welcomed us warmly. It is difficult to describe the happiness my friends expressed as I was one of the last able to cross the Soviet Bolshevik border.
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At number four in Zygmuntowski Street, in the building St Jacob, in five large rooms was the journalist Boarding House the literary fraternity it counted sixty-four members, and with the members of their families, it came to almost one hundred people. Work in the Boarding House and equally in the kitchen was carried out with duty officers. In this shelter, the reports were delivered by the past chief editor, here they were sitting at the one table co-workers from Poznan “Oredownika” and from Warsaw “Naszego Przegladu”, here the editor of “Robotnika” they were consulting with co-workers from “Gazety Bydgowskiej” and “Dziennika Narodowgo”. Here we have seen clashes emphasising the national differences also various different positions and political beliefs. Nevertheless facing the tragedy as a displaced from our own country in Vilna they reached out to each other with a warm hand. (All names in inverted commas refer to various newspapers.)
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In the beginning, not a single journalist could obtain meaningful work only in March of 1940 a few of the journalists found work in published Polish newspapers in “Kurjerz Wilenski” and in “Gazeta Wilenska” which was edited by Bujnickiego. Besides, that three of the colleagues collaborated with a radio, “Nadajac Pogadanki” it was delivered in the Polish language.
Collaboration amongst journalists did not last because the terror intensified towards the Poles partly because of the murder of a policeman from Litwa.
At an extraordinary meeting, the accredited journalists were warned and on 17th May 1940, it was decreed to disallow the members from the boarding house to collaborate with local newspapers and the radio. This declaration was enforced.
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Arresting Polish officers and political activists in Litwa also translated itself to killings and imprisonment in a place called Lukiszkach or they were sent off to a concentration camp in Podbrodziu, it was forbidden to conduct religious services in the Polish language, constant harassment and cruelties were directed towards Polish believers and anyone singing or lamenting for Poland. The authorities removed Polish writing and the display of the white Polish Eagle from the “Ostrea Gate”. This in itself understandably provoked the Boarding House inmates.
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On 3rd May 1940 on the streets of Vilna, the Latvian police circled in sharp readiness and even dispersed parishioners from the Polish church. In the Boarding House, the intended programme to celebrate the 3rd May was pompously suspended.
Unfortunately, there were no marches. The programme did embrace speeches indicating a belief in a victory and liberation of the country. With pain, their hearts flowed a note of reminiscence for freedom and for more happy times of 3rd May of an independent Poland.
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The Latvian press and later the Bolshevik press was insufficient to get accurate information for those that were used as journalists. For this reason, there was a person designated to maintain a vigil at the radio, he received dispatches and communiqués, this was reworked and formed a paper which was read during the dinner. Above that, there were communiqués from Poland which came by its own way to the Boarding House.
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It was unfortunate the Boarding House attracted itself to the Latvian authorities. It first appeared that a number of members were dispatched to Zagarow where they found themselves in a concentration camp. A few days later the Boarding House was informed about the authorities ordering the liquidation of the place in Vilna. After a long negotiation, they received permission to shift the kitchen to Poniewieza, but that decision was not carried out because the occupying Latvian force was replaced mid-July by Bolsheviks. After once again the Soviets entering Vilna the journalists from Zagarow returned and life in the Boarding House flowed as normal.
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The peaceful life in the Boarding House did not last long. The first wave of arrests by the Bolsheviks included also the journalists. Two of our colleagues were sent to prison and the Boarding House temporally closed. Journalists and writers found themselves without a roof over their heads. This time help came from an institution T.O.Z. (Protective Health Organisation) which was a Jewish organisation and they provided three rooms at Zeligowskiege Street. In front of the house, they hung a board stating “Kitchen on the third floor” and the Boarding House was liquidated by the authorities and it was called “Kitchen” that became suspicious by N.K.W.D. (Russian secret police)
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The kitchen in the new location in agreement with the Soviet authorities was not designated only for our membership, anyone could come and utilise the services.
This created a new situation for journalists. Under the pretext of receiving a meal, some suspicious individuals were milling with journalists and possibly spying.
We stopped reading the radio communiqués and the membership was not allowed after 4 pm. Someone distributed flyers, a few houses in the centre of the city displayed national flags. Vilna was celebrating the twenty-second Anniversary of Independence as a city for the third time after the September attack.
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On 18th January 1941, I and my colleagues decided to prepare ourselves to find a way into the world. Unfortunately, this attempt encountered many difficulties. In other words, those attempts were too late. The Polish diplomatic delegation in Stockholm gave us all the support possible. We received the visa but it was too late. In March the N.K.W.D. did not issue visas anymore. Only six colleagues from the Boarding House departed from the occupied Vilna. With much pain, we parted with those that we were close for eleven months. That was a moment of happiness and despair.
Shaking my hand in departure the Stage Manager Ms Perzanowska/Chmielneska/, whispered: “Please tell Mr Romerowi that Perzanowska from the Theatre “Jaracza” and my husband Kazimierz Chmielewski are performing in the theatre under the direction of the Bolsheviks.”
We were left behind with those we knew from Warsaw. “Romer is the one that knows us. We did not betray each other.”
Tears ran down our cheeks and our voices were muffled in our throats.
Mr Chmielewski standing beside me: “Have you heard?” “Yes,” I replied. Mr and Mrs Chmielewscy composed themselves after a while. Their directions were carried out by me.
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At the end of April after spending three months in Kobe I received a letter from Vilna from a known author and journalist Mr. “M.” who amongst others writes on 21st March 1941: he writes on the first day of Spring, the sun is shining and we slipped into the basement full of happiness. It will be much warmer for us. Yes, after all winter cannot last forever.
From early morning to dusk we carry iron rail tracks. It is hard work, my back is aching. I have not become sick because of it but am a little bit more manly.
“The barn is closed.” Aunty Eva and her daughter, unfortunately, cannot join up with her husband Wladek, but they are desperate to see him.
Kiszgisa (pseudonym for one of the friends). Kiszgis in Latvian means hare, luck has it he lost his passport. I am longing for all of you my dears. When will I see you?
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The Boarding House for journalists and writers in Vilno was completely shut by the Soviets but the residents have not dispersed and did not break them. It is obvious they went underground and there with a pen were fighting for independence and a free democratic Poland.
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Liz Sapir