I never kept secret I am Jewish. Włodzimierz Klamra about life in Wałbrzych, Warsaw and March '68

INTERVIEWEE: Włodzimierz Klamra
INTERVIEWEE’S BIOGRAPHY AND DETAILED THEMES DEVELOPMENT: sztetl.org.pl/en/oral-history...
INTERVIEWER: Józef Markiewicz
OPERATOR: Grzegorz Liwiński
RECORDING DATE: 12th March 2018
RECORDING COPYRIGHT: POLIN Museum of the History of the Polish Jews
THE MOST IMPORTANT THEMES:
00:00:10 - Parents and their pre-war involvement in the communist movement, their war experiences, father’s attempt to join the Red Army, his transfer to General Anders’ Corps, father’s reunion with his mother in Magnitogorsk, birth in 1943.
00:03:20 - The family’s travel to Wałbrzych in 1946, father’s involvement in organizing Jewish life, the establishment of the Botwin Jewish Shoemakers’ Cooperative and the interviewee’s father’s work.
00:05:50 - Moving to Warsaw in 1957, the most important facts in life in Warsaw, education at the Dąbrowski High School, studies at the University of Warsaw, the scientific work in the National Centre for Nuclear Research in Świerk.
00:06:48 - Memories from Wałbrzych, life in the suburbs, anti-Semitism among the closest neighbors, friendship with the Pająk family, introduction of religion to schools, French miners.
00:11:17 - Arrivals of Jews from the Soviet Union, the picture of Sobięcin where three streets were populated exclusively by Jews and were dubbed “Palestine”.
00:13:00 - Information on parents and grandfather from Płock.
00:14:16 - Sobięcin and “Palestine”, photographs from the Jewish kindergarten in Sobięcin, a photograph depicting the family participating in the 1st of May parade, Jewish life in Wałbrzych, Jewish cooperatives, Jewish life - functioning of parties and organizations, the Jewish circle of friends, talks “in the Jewish way”, Jewish congregation, father’s aversion to religion.
00:19:55 - Comparison between communities in Wałbrzych and Warsaw. Parents’ friends from Płock, from the jail, from the communist party, Józef Kalinowski’s help in moving to Warsaw.
00:23:37 - Awareness of Jewish identity, reluctance to immigrate from Poland, parents’ professional activities in Warsaw.
00:26:59 - Parents’ involvement in the Jewish club, the Babel Club as an important venue, participation in summer camps organized by the Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland (TSKŻ). The youth club as a response to the needs of Jewish youth - discussions, lectures and entertainment, meeting with M. Rakowski concerning the Six-Day War, lessons of Yiddish.
00:33:04 - A different perception of March ’68 outside Warsaw, Jews from Wałbrzych applying for the permission to immigrate from Poland, firing a Jewish miner from Wałbrzych.
00:39:26 - Anxiety among parents’ friends over the Six-Day War. The March ’68 events from a time perspective. Recollections of 8 March 1968.
00:45:11 - Father’s reaction to anti-Jewish smear campaign, brother’s expulsion from the university in Rzeszów, the party rallies in Świerk, redundancies.
00:47:49 - Membership in the Union of the Socialist Youth (ZMS), friendship with the representatives of the workers’ activists, denial to participate in the ZMS camp due to the membership in the Babel Club
00:52:30 - Political awareness - revisionism and will to reform, significance of the ZMS discussion club.
00:57:07 - The interviewee’s brother’s immigration, reluctance to permanently leave Poland and difficulties in making up his mind. Reactions of co-workers to Włodzimierz Klamra’s departure, providing him with contacts to research organizations in the West.
01:03:49 - Arrival in Sweden in 1969.
01:04:57 - Naftali Botwin.
01:06:22 - Parents’ annual visits in Stockholm and postponing their decision on their immigration, father’s death in Warsaw in 1982, mother’s arrival in Sweden.
01:10:40 - First visit to Poland as a Swedish citizen, impressions.
01:12:30 - No attempts to regain the Polish citizenship, changes and lack of transparency in the procedures of regaining citizenship, reluctance of friends to regain the Polish citizenship.
01:22:30 - Detailed account of departure from Poland, submitting resignation in Świerk, completing formalities before departure, borrowing money from, purchase of handbooks for learning languages, unpleasant customs control.
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