Wiesław Chodzikiewicz – działacz młodzieżowej organizacji niepodległościowej w Gliwicach (1948 r.)

In the years 1944-1956 on the territory of Poland there were about a thousand active youth pro-independence organisations. Almost 11 thousand young people fought in them against the communist system. One of these young people who decided to put up struggle with this unaccepted by Poles system was Wiesław Chodzikiewicz. He was born on 13th February 1932 in Płock. He came from a patriotic family as his father fought in the defense of Lwów. His father was a legionary and before World War II he was an activist of the Piłsudskiite camp. After the outbreak of the war he was mobilised and he most probably was killed on the front. The son received patriotic upbringing because his father often repeated that “ homeland is the first and the family is the second”. Wiesław participated in the Warsaw Uprising as a courier. After the war had ended, he lived inGliwice with his mother and sister. In 1948, on his friend’s suggestion, he joined the ranks of a youth pro-independence organisation. The young people collected firearms from the scrap yard, maintained it and believed that World War III would break out. They spread once a leaflet directed to their peers. Their activity ended up with their arrest and the sentence of a few years of imprisonment due to the discovery of the weapon on the loft of the post office. Wiesław Chodzikiewicz was sentenced to 5 years in prison. In the prison in Jaworzno he was persecuted and was being forced to sign the collaboration with the secret police. In the end they managed to break him, but being in prison he refused further cooperation explaining it by nervous disease. His imprisonment was slightly shortened and after being released he treated his poor health which he had lost after being beaten by the security apparatus officers, and later he worked in the worst jobs for poor money. He died at the age of 61 on 9th April, 1993.