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Stalinism at the teacher training college

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Studying at teacher training college
Jacek Kuroń Social activist
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I was expelled from the Party but I already knew then, because there came a moment when it was clear, that I was saying goodbye to my post and my function. I called comrade vice-chancellor Kauski, vice-chancellor of the teacher training college and rector of the Central Committee. He was working with us and I said to him, 'Comrade vice-chancellor, maybe I could enroll in your school?' To which he said, 'But of course, comrade Kuroń, come over whenever you can and we'll sort out the formalities.' I said, 'I have a car so I'll come over', and I did. I was accepted as a first year student, and so I began my course just as I was being expelled from the Party. They were saying something like I should have become a work leader in a factory but Wołczyk, it was clearly Wołczyk although later in '56 Kauski was bragging that he had stood by me because I should have been expelled much earlier. But I think it was Wołczyk, he was embarassed anyway. He didn't take part in anything from the moment I told him what I told him after which he'd sent me home straight away without any further discussion and without saying anything more. Basically, I think he knew that he was just giving in and he didn't want to talk to me about this. That doesn't mean that he felt he was right about this issue. He just left it and other people did it instead of him, and the result was that I got expelled from the Party but not from the ZMP. So, really, I got off very lightly.

Wyrzucono mnie z partii, ale w momencie kiedy ja już wiedziałem, bo był już taki moment, że było jasne, że ja się żegnam ze stanowiskiem i z funkcją, zadzwoniłem sobie do towarzysza rektora Kauskiego, rektora Wyższej Szkoły Pedagogicznej, który był przy tym lektorem KC i współpracował z nami i zapytałem: "Wiesz, Jurek, to może ja bym sobie u was postudiował?" On odpowiedział: "Ależ oczywiście, towarzyszu Kuroń, przyjedźcie kiedy tylko możecie, załatwimy formalności". Ja mówię: "No to ja właśnie mam wóz, to pojadę" i pojechałem, no i zostałem przyjęty na pierwszy rok studiów. Także zacząłem studia już, kiedy oni mnie wyrzucali. Oni tam coś mówili, że powinienem pójść do fabryki i zostać przodownikiem pracy, ale Wołczyk, najwyraźniej Wołczyk, potem w 1956 roku Kauski mi się przechwalał, że on mnie obronił, że ja wtedy przecież powinienem wylecieć. Ale ja myślę, że to Wołczyk, który się jednak wstydził. On nie uczestniczył przy żadnym od tego momentu, kiedy ja mu powiedziałem to, co mu powiedziałem i on mnie wysłał do domu bez dyskusji, to już ze mną nie zamienił słowa. W gruncie rzeczy myślę, że on wiedział, że on po prostu idzie tu na koncesję i nie chciał ze mną na ten temat rozmawiać. To znaczy nie miał poczucia, że on ma rację w tej całej sprawie. I on tę sprawę zostawił, robili to inni za niego i stanęło na wyrzuceniu z partii, nawet bez wyrzucenia z ZMP. Tak że w sumie to mi bardzo łagodnie przebiegło.

The late Polish activist, Jacek Kuroń (1934-2004), had an influential but turbulent political career, helping transform the political landscape of Poland. He was expelled from the communist party, arrested and incarcerated. He was also instrumental in setting up the Workers' Defence Committee (KOR) and later became a Minister of Labour and Social Policy.

Listeners: Jacek Petrycki Marcel Łoziński

Cinematographer Jacek Petrycki was born in Poznań, Poland in 1948. He has worked extensively in Poland and throughout the world. His credits include, for Agniezka Holland, Provincial Actors (1979), Europe, Europe (1990), Shot in the Heart (2001) and Julie Walking Home (2002), for Krysztof Kieslowski numerous short films including Camera Buff (1980) and No End (1985). Other credits include Journey to the Sun (1998), directed by Jesim Ustaoglu, which won the Golden Camera 300 award at the International Film Camera Festival, Shooters (2000) and The Valley (1999), both directed by Dan Reed, Unforgiving (1993) and Betrayed (1995) by Clive Gordon both of which won the BAFTA for best factual photography. Jacek Petrycki is also a teacher and a filmmaker.

Film director Marcel Łoziński was born in Paris in 1940. He graduated from the Film Directing Department of the National School of Film, Television and Theatre in Łódź in 1971. In 1994, he was nominated for an American Academy Award and a European Film Academy Award for the documentary, 89 mm from Europe. Since 1995, he has been a member of the American Academy of Motion Picture Art and Science awarding Oscars. He lectured at the FEMIS film school and the School of Polish Culture of Warsaw University. He ran documentary film workshops in Marseilles. Marcel Łoziński currently lectures at Andrzej Wajda’s Master School for Film Directors. He also runs the Dragon Forum, a European documentary film workshop.

Tags: Party, Teacher Training College, Central Committee, ZMP, Jerzy Wołczyk

Duration: 1 minute, 23 seconds

Date story recorded: 1987

Date story went live: 12 June 2008