Rudolf Jamka w latach okupacji

Rudolf Jamka, before the war an assistant at the Chair of Prehistoric Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University, survived the occupation period by continuing to work in archaeology. After the outbreak of the war, already in 1939 he reported to the Archaeological Museum of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences, where – accused of allegedly hiding Germanic artefacts – he was interrogated by SS officers. Released after questioning, he began organizing the library of the Department of Prehistoric Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University and – being present in the Collegium Novum building on 6 November 1939 – by a fortunate coincidence avoided arrest during the Sonderaktion Krakau. Fearing further repressions against academic staff, he left for Sosnowiec. He returned to Kraków in February 1941. At that time, he began working as a museum official in the Polish team at the Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte, formerly the Archaeological Museum of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was also employed in the Prehistory Section of the German Institute for Eastern Work (Institut für Deutsche Ostarbeit). During the war, he conducted archaeological excavations at several sites—Turbia (former Tarnobrzeg District, now Stalowa Wola District), Marcinkowice (Nowy Sącz District), Szaflary (Nowy Targ District), Bachórz-Chodorówka (Sanok District), as well as within Kraków itself. He was also involved in underground teaching activities. As part of the Secret Jagiellonian University (Tajny Uniwersytet Jagielloński), he taught archaeology to students of prehistory, art history, and history.