Roman Werfel
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Roman Karol Werfel (24 May 1906 in
Lwów Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...
– 2003,
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
), was a Polish Communist politician of
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
descent, active during the reign of
Stalinism Stalinism (, ) is the Totalitarianism, totalitarian means of governing and Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union (USSR) from History of the Soviet Union (1927–1953), 1927 to 1953 by dictator Jose ...
in the
People's Republic of Poland The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...
. He was an editor-in-chief of "Nowe Drogi", the leading organ of the Central Committee of the communist United Workers' Party (1952-1959), and from 1948 director of party publishing house ''Książka i Wiedza''. Roman Werfel took part in preparing the acts of indictment in practically all major political trials (Rzepecki, Mierzwa & Niepokolczycki, Puzak, Tatar, bishop Kaczmarek) and had this to say about the much-hated Communist secret police, the UB or Bezpieka: "There's one principle you have to stick to, in beating: Johnny has to be beaten by Johnny, and not by Moshe." (''Torańska, p. 109''). Werfel was one of the older members of the Polish Communist Party. Following the onset of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
he escaped to the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, and actively connected with ''Nowe Widnokręgi'', a Communists periodical published in
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
. In the post-war period Werfel was twice chief editor of ''Głos Ludu'' (up to 1949 official party daily before the ''Trybuna Ludu'' was started). In spring 1955 he was appointed chief editor of ''Trybuna Ludu'', and removed from that position on 11 May 1956. From the first Party congress, deputy member of the party's Politbiuro. At the second congress in March 1954 re-elected to that position.


Sources

*
Teresa Torańska Teresa Sławomira Torańska (January 1, 1944 – January 2, 2013) was a Polish journalist and writer. She was perhaps best known for her award winning monograph, ''Oni'' (). Biography Teresa Torańska was born on January 1, 1944, in Wołkowysk ( ...
, ''Them: Stalin's Polish Puppets'',
HarperCollins Publishers HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the " Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. HarperCollins is ...
(May 1988), 384 pages, translated by Agnieszka Kolakowska, (paperback, hardcover


About Roman Werfel
at the
Blinken Open Society Archives The Blinken OSA Archivum (abbreviated as the 'Archivum'') is a dynamic archival institution that aims to explore new ways of assessing, contextualizing, presenting, and making use of archival documents both in a professional and a consciously act ...


References

1906 births 2003 deaths Politicians from Lviv People from the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria Polish communists Polish United Workers' Party members {{Poland-politician-stub