Background and cases of nationalization in Poland in the Stalinist Era – an example of Lublin’s tanning industry

Abstract

The nationalization processes in People’s Poland had already begun at the time of establishment of the Polish Committee of National Liberation. Enterprises were submitted under temporary state management and were expropriated on the basis of various regulations, including those enacted by Pilsudski’s sanation. The food industry was nationalized as part of the land reform. Industrial enterprises which were able to employ more than 50 employees on one shift (it was quite indefinite) were nationalized by the act on nationalization of 3 January 1946. Next, factories were taken over by political decisions of the communist Polish United Workers’ Party. On the other hand, the reconstruction of industry after the Nazi and Soviet devastation, rescuing of work places, concern for inhabitants’ lives, supplies of food and goods, needed extraordinary measures. It is demonstrated by the example of the tanning industry in Lublin – where the Polish Committee of National Liberation had its headquarters. However, the nationalization in post-war Poland served the communists political interests and was one of the means used by the communist political class to introduce the totalitarian system.