Goralischer Waffen SS Legion - unfinished business
Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 9:33 pm
Goralischer Freiwilligen Waffen SS Legion - planned voluntary formation of Waffen SS of expected strength of 10 thous men, recruited from Goralenverein, being the core of Goralenvolk. Its probably unknown to most of you.
Goralenvolk - was germanization action of Gorals started in occupied Poland. During the German occupation of Poland in World War II attempts to divide the Polish nation by the new rulers led to the postulation of a separate ethnicity called "Goralenvolk". Derived from the Polish word "Górale" (the Highlanders), it designated the population of the region of Podhale in southern Poland near the Slovakian border.
Origin
The Gorals (Górale) were considered by the Nazis to be a part of the "Greater Germanic Race". Nazi ideology claimed that a significant fraction of their ancestry was descended from ethnic Germans who allegedly settled in this region during medieval times. For example, the 1885 Meyers Lexicon entry under Goralen states, that Germans (also) lived in that area in the 11th century and were slavicized.
German occupation
The region inhabited by Górale (pre-war Polish Nowy Targ County in Podhale) was annexed by Germany immediately after the Invasion of Poland in 1939. Later, attempts were made by the German authorities to assimilate the population into the body of Volksdeutsche, and to encourage collaboration with the occupying forces. Soon, a group of collaborators formed, under the leadership of Henryk Szatkowski, Witalis Wieder, Wacław Krzeptowski and Józef Cukier. The latter two proposed to establish a separate state for Goralenvolk during a visit to Governor-General Hans Frank in November 1939. Formally, Goralenverein was also established as a 'continuation' of pre-war Górale Association.
Even though the idea was met with great enthusiasm by the German authorities, a census conducted in 1940 showed that only 18% of the local population did not consider themselves to be Polish (mostly by pressure or by releasing relatives from prisons/POW camps), a result that was a great disappointment to the collaborators and the occupiers alike. After attempts to revive the idea during the following years proved unsuccessful, the project was almost entirely abandoned in 1943. With the arrival of allied troops towards the end of the war, the short-lived existence of the mostly hypothetical Goralenvolk finally became a footnote of history.
Goralischer Waffen SS Legion
Recruitment started in June 1942. 300 people were recruited by various methods (mostly by serving vodka) of which 200 were qualified to active service. Most of them deserted on the way to training camp after they got sober. under 20 reached the camp. Some 'disputes' with Ukrainians stationed there, were observed. The rest was mostly transported to the Reich for slave labour, while there are records of maybe 5-6 that were left in Waffen SS.
Pursuit for Goralenvolk/Goralenverein leaders
Górale are nature-hardened men, tradition-loving, very religious and devoted to their homeland. Just like mountaineers of the other countries, like the men that made the core of German Gebirgsjager. Its no surprise that the pursuit for Goralenvolk leaders was very intense. Most of them were either hanged still before the Germas were expelled from their land or killed soon after. With no trials, just the punishment. Sometimes the execution was quite 'severe', like hanging on a hook by 7th rib. I had the opportunity to meet someone that had known those that carried one of the executions. He said, with typical Góral's reserve and restraint: 'They deserved their fate and we did what we should. They betrayed the Górals, their brethren. They brought him to the highest pine tree behind his hut and hanged him there. Hanged him high enough to show that to every mountain peak around. People later talked that the mountains themselves punished him.' Noone was ever formally found quilty of those executions. Górals know how to keep their mouths shut...
Some leaders escaped their fate either by retreating together with Germans or giving up to the new Polish authorities. The latter served between 3-15 years in prison.
Goralenvolk - was germanization action of Gorals started in occupied Poland. During the German occupation of Poland in World War II attempts to divide the Polish nation by the new rulers led to the postulation of a separate ethnicity called "Goralenvolk". Derived from the Polish word "Górale" (the Highlanders), it designated the population of the region of Podhale in southern Poland near the Slovakian border.
Origin
The Gorals (Górale) were considered by the Nazis to be a part of the "Greater Germanic Race". Nazi ideology claimed that a significant fraction of their ancestry was descended from ethnic Germans who allegedly settled in this region during medieval times. For example, the 1885 Meyers Lexicon entry under Goralen states, that Germans (also) lived in that area in the 11th century and were slavicized.
German occupation
The region inhabited by Górale (pre-war Polish Nowy Targ County in Podhale) was annexed by Germany immediately after the Invasion of Poland in 1939. Later, attempts were made by the German authorities to assimilate the population into the body of Volksdeutsche, and to encourage collaboration with the occupying forces. Soon, a group of collaborators formed, under the leadership of Henryk Szatkowski, Witalis Wieder, Wacław Krzeptowski and Józef Cukier. The latter two proposed to establish a separate state for Goralenvolk during a visit to Governor-General Hans Frank in November 1939. Formally, Goralenverein was also established as a 'continuation' of pre-war Górale Association.
Even though the idea was met with great enthusiasm by the German authorities, a census conducted in 1940 showed that only 18% of the local population did not consider themselves to be Polish (mostly by pressure or by releasing relatives from prisons/POW camps), a result that was a great disappointment to the collaborators and the occupiers alike. After attempts to revive the idea during the following years proved unsuccessful, the project was almost entirely abandoned in 1943. With the arrival of allied troops towards the end of the war, the short-lived existence of the mostly hypothetical Goralenvolk finally became a footnote of history.
Goralischer Waffen SS Legion
Recruitment started in June 1942. 300 people were recruited by various methods (mostly by serving vodka) of which 200 were qualified to active service. Most of them deserted on the way to training camp after they got sober. under 20 reached the camp. Some 'disputes' with Ukrainians stationed there, were observed. The rest was mostly transported to the Reich for slave labour, while there are records of maybe 5-6 that were left in Waffen SS.
Pursuit for Goralenvolk/Goralenverein leaders
Górale are nature-hardened men, tradition-loving, very religious and devoted to their homeland. Just like mountaineers of the other countries, like the men that made the core of German Gebirgsjager. Its no surprise that the pursuit for Goralenvolk leaders was very intense. Most of them were either hanged still before the Germas were expelled from their land or killed soon after. With no trials, just the punishment. Sometimes the execution was quite 'severe', like hanging on a hook by 7th rib. I had the opportunity to meet someone that had known those that carried one of the executions. He said, with typical Góral's reserve and restraint: 'They deserved their fate and we did what we should. They betrayed the Górals, their brethren. They brought him to the highest pine tree behind his hut and hanged him there. Hanged him high enough to show that to every mountain peak around. People later talked that the mountains themselves punished him.' Noone was ever formally found quilty of those executions. Górals know how to keep their mouths shut...
Some leaders escaped their fate either by retreating together with Germans or giving up to the new Polish authorities. The latter served between 3-15 years in prison.