Okoliczności powołania Rady Głównej Opiekuńczej

Abstract

The military conflict which broke out in August 1914, later named the Great War, extended into the entire territory of the Kingdom of Poland. Armed hostilities conducted by allied German and Austro-Hungarian armies against Russian forces ruined a lot of households depriving their owners of livelihood. A tragic situation of the Kingdom of Poland’s residents posed a risk of humanitarian disaster. The first organization providing help and support to civil victims of the war in the Polish territory was the Civic Committee. However, its works were interrupted in September 1915, soon after Warsaw was seized by German forces. Those who had been earlier involved in charity work knew that new authorities would probably allow to continue charity activity because a lack of interest in this issue could eventually harm the implementation of occupational policy. These expectations proved accurate. German administration gave consent for the establishment of a new social organization, i.e. Central Welfare Council [Rada Główna Opiekuńcza] (RGO). Polish environments carried out negotiations thereon with occupational authorities from October 1915 to spring 1916. Their purpose was to establish powers that the newly created institution should be vested in. The aspirations of individuals who were to work in RGO in the future sometimes exceeded the expectations of the Germans by and large. Occupational authorities did not agree, among others, for the pursuit of activity in the field of education, medical care or collection of data concerning substantive losses in the effect of warfare. Nevertheless, the attitude of German authorities was gradually becoming less consistent as they needed to win favour of the Polish society. In practice, RGO was involved not only in strictly charitable initiatives (financial support of social care centres, food distribution, organization of fund- raising, etc.) but also in educational activity, loss estimation and organization of medical facilities.