Gdańsk authorities consistently and with a morbid taste extend the author's list of people worthy of honor as peculiarly distinguished and well-deserved for the city, although these are not necessarily valuable to Polish residents. In 2010, the patron saint of 1 of the trams was made Adolf ButenandaYes, an outstanding biochemist and Nobel laureate but also... associate NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers' Party), who personally and willingly vowed allegiance to his namesake Adolf Hitler. Only after seven The years of promoting Butenand were aware of who he was from convictions and the tram was stripped of the Nazi accent. By the way, it was revealed that the national socialist in 1994 besides received the honorary doctorate Gdańsk University of Technology. It must have been a coincidence that the Rector of the University was Edmund Wittbrodt, later Senator (until 2015) Citizens' Platform Called malicious but not unreasonablely “Volksdeutsche ParteiIt’s okay. ”
In the context of prohitler's tastes, the castle over Motława could inactive be mentioned Gunter GrassAnd for Hitler in his service... Wafen-SS Or the Armed Forces. Schutzstaff – Paramilitary formation under the above mentioned. NSDAP and declared a criminal organization in 1946. But that's a different story. Especially since Grass's worship by the Gdańsk authorities was not interrupted as in the case of Butenand, and his forms are much more than just a tram patronage.
EXCHANGE COOPERATION METRIC
A fresh quality in promoting people with at least ambiguous biography is reaching to the Gdańsk people with communist past in its worst, agentural dimension. On December 11, 2020, in the highest period of an internationalist scam called a pandemic, a group of masked Gdańsk notables took part in a solemn entry on 1 of the Gdańsk individual trams Zbigniew and Matia Kosciary, referred to as the most celebrated Gdańsk photojournalists.
The problem is that older of them Zbigniew (the father of Maciej) was already known as a co-worker of communist safety services since the first years of their existence, i.e. Provincial Public safety Office, briefly referred to as Security Office and – after conversion in mid-1948 – Branch II of the General Staff of the Polish Army. In the ranks of military security, Z. Koscizar utilized the nickname “HalskiIt’s okay. ”
I will not describe many of the achievements of a “known Gdańsk photojournalist” as a pin armed with a camera due to the fact that she has documented them well adequate and described the red. Anna Pisarska from the portal ‘Prestige ZoneIt’s okay. ” I powerfully urge reading her text entitled “Photojournalist Zbigniew Kosykar – Halski's pursuer“Because it's a good, professional journalistic job. Short but very clear passage of the question made by the author: “Zbigniew Koscizar was a hound for security. His cooperation with the safety Office was to describe his contacts, take pictures and transfer them to the UB. He was paid for his work. The accounts and the amounts of payments have remained.’. It is simply a pity that propagandists and dealers from the coastal media did not "bend" on this subject, choosing – and worse – to proceed to pump the cosypot balloon.
By the way – there is no way to ignore comments under this and second publication of the ed. Pisarski devoted to “Halski”. Yes, affirmative opinions prevail here, but there are besides any that show complete blindness or stupidity of correspondents. "Genek" e.g. accuses the author of why she did not compose about Rajmund Kaczyński And his villa in Żoliborz. unusual charge at a time erstwhile the organ Michnika aka Shechter and its washings do not work in conspiracy. And they're closer to Żoliborz. On the another hand, the individual described as Paweł Hryniewicz first unwarrantedly attributes the author's association with the safety Service, and then states that he was an agent of the 2nd branch of the General Staff, or not SB, but an interview.
So we have an interesting example of inserting military safety into something better, possibly even patriotic and in a consecutive line from Boleslawa ChrobregO. I do not know whether this correspondent's consciousness will be signaled that military safety was more ruthless in its activities than the SB, and besides more closely associated with abroad services, not only Soviet. The flagship individual example is the gene. Czesław Kiszczak, besides from the 2nd General Staff of the WP and in the rank of his boss. In his dossier he had a fruitful – of course for the another side – cooperation with GDR-owska Stasi (abbreviation from Staatssicherheitsdienst, orThe State safety Service) and – after the unification of Germany – Germany BND (abbreviation from Bundesnachrichtendienst, or national safety Service). It was not anyone else, as Kiszczak decided, who from the “democratic opposition” would invitation to Magdalena and whom he would entrust with the companying of his name of the creation with what contractual name III Republic of Poland.
Is it besides small?
Both Cossacks, apart from the tram under their patronage, were besides honored with many another distinctions, including titles Gdansk of the Year and The Medals of the Prince of Vengeance II. Apparently, this does not satisfy their devotees, due to the fact that precisely on September 17, 2025, just on the anniversary of the russian invasion of Poland on the wall of the building at ul. Old Town podwale 89 In the centre of Gdańsk, a mural with portraits of both Kosciński was unveiled, while the older 1 was placed on a further, kind of foggy plan.
This is most likely the only effect of protests by many gdanskans against the building's "developing" image of its erstwhile tenants. The publication in the “Prestition Zone” devoted to this scandalous case did not help, nor did the answer of the deputy manager of the Gdańsk branch sent to this editorial board Institute of National Memorythe text of which reads as follows:
‘In the IPN archival resource there are papers indicating the cooperation of Zbigniew Kosynar with the safety authorities of the Polish People's Republic. I so have a negative opinion on the anticipation of commemorating it in public space."
Interestingly, Pomeranian Provincial Monument Conservationist did not share this view and accepted the mural on the building within the historical Old Town. By the way, I sympathize with the tenants of the adjacent tenement house, from the windows that you can see this work in maximum magnification. Especially since it is easy to get the impression that TW "Halski" in a minute immortalizes with his camera what we have on a plate, with whom we drink vodka or – even worse – with whom we execute activities called intimate.
MORE PHOTORESTRATOR THAN PHOTOREPORTER
I would personally refrain from defining Z. The mosynar as a photojournalist, mainly out of respect for this – erstwhile exclusively press – specialization. From 1980 to 1990, I was the editorial secretary first in Weekly "Time” and after his dissolution in Weekly “CoastIt’s okay. ” I do not compose “I was the secretary of the editorial board” due to the fact that this function was intended – like the functions of the editor-in-chief and his deputies – for the alleged organization nomenclature, i.e. accompanied by the most trustworthy management Polish United Workers' organization (PRP) at least regional level. For specified liable work, the organization rewarded among others with apartments obtained in the first place and on attractive conditions and alleged asignats for cars at mill price, and thus almost as free. By the way, in “Time” the party's trusted secretary of the editorial board, at the same time my direct supervisor was... Maciej Łopinski, now a prominent activist Rights and Justice, among others, the president's chief of law Lech Kaczyński (responsible for preparing his tragically interrupted journey to Katyń in 2010 but he did not fly there himself) and a highly rewarded typical of the PiS power in the richest companies with shares State Treasury, i.e. KGHM Polska Miedź, PZU, Orlene and PKO BP.
It was my work as the deputy secretary of the editorial board to supervise and coordinate the work of photojournalists, including the ordering of illustrations in conjunction with the content of publications prepared for printing, and to propose on my part or to measure and accept the subjects reported as self-reporting. For me, the photojournalist was never a slighted “shoot” but an independent writer armed with a camera alternatively of a pen or a typewriter. Almost each of the photojournalists' photos, in addition to the strict information layer, contained any deeper message, a thesis more or little hidden from the censors. This is peculiarly actual of the alleged Solidarity Carnival, which runs from August 1980 to December 1981. Album titled ‘Solidarity. August 1980’ with individual dedications I received from his authors Ryszard Wesołowski, Robust Modera and Stanisław Ossowski proves that for the photographers of the Week of Time, I was alternatively a partner with them seeking to accomplish the best possible form of publication in print than the superior, enforcing only his concepts.
Unfortunately, even in this context, Z. The mosseller as a photojournalist in the appropriate sense of the word cannot be considered a way. He was alternatively a photographer or court photographer perpetuating on his photos of subsequent PRL-Polish ducks, with organization leaders. Besides, they returned favors with peculiar kindness. They could even wait to start a plenary or execution before “the companion of Zbigniew” appeared in the gathering area and then meekly set up to pose so that “the master” would be satisfied with the shot.
I believe that the function of the photographer was somewhat forced by civilian and military safety expectations overseeing "Halski". Her officers were not curious in a photograph with any publicist or reporter message. They were to be as readable and made from a standard perspective, as only this allowed for easy recognition and then elaborate (including possible conversion) enemies of the people. Z. The Moisturist simply conscientiously fulfilled what he had committed himself to.
From 2008 to 2018 as an worker of the time Road and Green Management Board in Gdańsk (primarily as the City's Dyzural Engineer) during the Christmas and fresh Year period, together with another colleagues, we received further albums by Zbigniew and Maciej Kosyczars, entitled “Unordinary regular photographs...” with further mention of circumstantial territory names. I have most of the 12 spent.
Unfortunately, they do not deserve the name of photojournalist works, especially in this part which is filled with black and white photos of Z. Kosycz. Static, with the dominance of illustrations begun, expanded or solemnly commissioned investments. It's like a construction log with "bits" in the form of traffic accidents, scattered buildings or local festivals. In a peculiarly interesting for me as a longtime resident of this part of Gdańsk album entitled “Unusual average pictures of Oruni, Chełma and Siedlec” missed Urban Culture House at Dworcowa Street with many events held within it; from performances “Gdansk” Song and Dance Team, which until present has its office here, through the celebrated fresh Year's Eve balls to the yearly reunions Ukrainian Union in Poland with the participation of advanced officials of then authority. The snitch and the Commie in 1 seemingly wide arch avoided as crucial spiritual objects as the yearly church indulgences St. Wojciech Or tiny but beautiful church St. John Bosco. They are not in the river album even on an external level, not to mention interiors with beautiful, presently removed or devastated altars. possibly he put all his talent and craftsmanship of the photographer TW “Halski” in photos of organization ducks and people curious in security.
We don't have your coat and what will you do to us?
The photographic legacy of Z. The Kostylarze counts – here versions are different – from 600 1000 to even a million photos. This is simply a immense number, especially with respect to photos taken not on gigabyte retention media as today, but on expensive, usually imported films. My fellow photojournalists from Time and Coast had to account carefully for each downloaded film. This besides had its good sides, due to the fact that all pressing the shutter trigger required considerable intuition and a fast analysis of whether what you see in the lens is worth perpetuating. Z. The mower did not have specified restrictions. Hence so much photographic junk in his work.
But with hundreds of thousands of pictures, you can always choose the fewer 1000 that can be published and sold from poorness – even by underselling requirements. Especially erstwhile there's virtually no competition. And here's the key to the mastic business, continued after the death of his boy Maciej by his daughter-in-law and grandson. TW “Halski” is the only photojournalist known to me in Gdańsk (lovely usage this term) who has obtained the privilege of taking over his full archive after the past Gdańsk Press Publishing HouseZ. Trybek, R. Wesołowski and S. Ossowski did not experience specified happiness. Databases of their photographs, nevertheless many times smaller – in order of respective twelve or respective 1000 – than Z. The mower beat on his head with its content and quality what was left of the latter. Unfortunately, they were done precisely like a locker area in a cult movie. Stanisława Barei ‘Bear” quoted in the above medium.
DELEGATIONS FROM THE HAPPY
Z. On my journalistic road, I met a lawn mower more closely than twice, but not erstwhile have they been contacts of the kind remembered.
Let's start with a somewhat lighter caliber event. In the late 1990s, I was offered the position of head of the economical and maritime department in "The voice of the CoastIt’s okay. ” The department was the most numerous, which evidently required intense editorial work over dozens of texts brought to my desk all day. After a fewer years, I found out by accident that the leading proposal in “The Voice” was intended to weaken my activity in cooperation with the weekly '"Policy“ then the largest opinion-making magazine in all east Europe. This cooperation was a salt in the eye of the Gdańsk authorities due to the fact that they had no control over what and in what context I intend to write. However, this cynical personnel maneuver has had completely other effects. Without neglecting my work in the department, I had access to information on many affluent cases in the Coast, which were impossible to describe in the local press, and the pressures and protests of local organization barons did not work for the management of the “Politics”.
Although the regular paper is not an illustrated weekly magazine, I have tried to illustrate all major publication with at least 1 picture, adequate to its content. It is not accidental for the subject experts to say that all well taken photograph is able to replace a 1000 words, or at least easier to scope the reader's consciousness, which has an incurable aversion to read.
With all this anger, I noticed that in 1 text accepted, illustrated and directed by me the day before I was printed there was a image that I had not seen before and which replaced my proposal.
The perpetrator and author of this “drop” was Z. Koscizar, who convinced the method editor of the request to make the switch. As I later learned, he did so notoriously, depriving his colleagues of fees due only for the photos published. I consider this to be an highly perfidious form of theft, as it is equally crucial for photojournalists, in addition to money itself, to be able to preserve copyright and to increase the documented work.
The position of TW “Halski” in the editorial board of the “Guest of the Coast” was, however, so strong that no of the mediate and lower staff, and sometimes even from the strict management of the newspaper, dared to question his behaviour. That is precisely why I did not intend to intervene with the editor-in-chief. I only told the “technical” that if one more time Kosciary would exchange a image from the publications provided by me, I would make his treachery celebrated all over Poland. The informing was given where it needed to be, and its recipient knew that I was not throwing words at the wind, especially as a writer with access to central media. In short, it worked until the end of my work in The Voice.
It is hard to believe, but 7 years earlier I experienced an even worse encounter with a photographer dressed as a photojournalist. In mid-November 1982, “Politics” asked me to take pictures of the return Lech Walesa to his flat on the Gdańsk Zaspa after half-years of hard time – I am not joking here – in Arlamów. The text on this subject was to be prepared by ed. Jacek Pokoczko. I questioned whether, as a typical of the “regime” press, they would let me even at a distance of stone to the household nest of the icon “Solidarity”. They replied that it was adequate to show the “Politics” card. Now, after years and the papers released from TW Bolka I realize the reasons for this certainty.
But then in a crowd of people around the celebrated block in Zaspa I entered – what to hide here – with a soul on my shoulder. Turns out it wasn't necessary. The pass worked. Insured by a benevolent shipbuilder, I successfully went through the cheering people passing along the way of Z. Kosycz. I was a small amazed he was pointing the camera lens at me. I wasn't the hero of the event.
The mosciary remained in his distant position in front of the building, I reached the flat of Wales, where I made any standard photographs of the leader of “Solidarity” among household and closest associates. I thought my mission was over.
Unfortunately, it was a belief far premature. The arrival of Wałęsa occurred – as I remember – on Sunday, and already on the first working day, which means Monday I was called to the office George Ringer, editor-in-chief of the Coast Week, in which I was employed as Deputy Editorial Secretary. Our conversation was listened to – without any interference – by a mysterious individual, most likely a safety officer, and the dialog itself went something like this
– Hand over the video at erstwhile from Wałęsa's home in Zaspa!
- What movie?
This is no time for jokes. We have photos documenting your presence in that place.
– First of all – the movie is not the property of the publishing home but my private one. Secondly, the pictures are ordered by a different editor than the Coast.
You have until next day to decide. If you refuse, you will lose your occupation immediately.
So I had respective hours to think. At first glance, the profession of electronics with 13 years of work and the title of telecommunications engineer allowed to find even more profitable work. But it was just appearances. With the alleged wolf ticket issued by SB after my refusal, I could not find work even as a low-paid ditch digger for telecommunications cables.
And at that point, I had a wife and 2 children at the age of 1 and three. To support the pralete Henryk Jankowski whether – especially – Central Intelligence Agency via Vatican I could not number millions of dollars either, due to the fact that this money even avoided real oppositionists of Polish nationality. And I was not a oppositionist, and I was not going to be, due to the fact that the control of "Solidarity" by the Jewkomun (video: Geremek, Michnik, Chicken and similar) was known to me as well from the period of work in “Time”.
On the another hand, I sensed that for J. Ringer, and especially for the anonymous witness of our conversation, the pictures themselves were little crucial than the anticipation of obtaining a factual argument – specifically photographs – allowing not so much to convince me, but to force me to follow in the footsteps of TW “Halski”.
I wasn't curious in a solution like that, even for the price of saying goodbye to journalism. The next day I told Ringer that the rotation with the movie was loaded with clips and then thrown into the sewer in my flat on a distant Oruni. The doorknob collapsed and just came by to wait for a disciplinary notice.
Surprisingly, I have not seen what it convinces me that a thesis that does not have irreplaceable people frequently contradicts the facts. In November 1982, Tygodnik 'The Coast' was just crawling as a fresh press title. Among the people who would be able to undertake the hard work of professional work on its efficient launch and improvement of large choice there was no. Both editor-in-chief of the magazine means Jerzy Ringerand his replacements Grazine Bral were tv journalists, second deputy Wiesław Kozira The commentator was more curious than the editor, while the editorial secretary Henryk Spigarski proved to be a typical organization insert for a nomenklatura function with competences not exceeding the level of department manager.
I was so a essential individual for the Coast, on the importance of weekly planning, drafting and sending to print respective twelve publications prepared earlier by department managers. I quit working at the Coast erstwhile I wanted to, not a safety officer utilizing his agent's services.
Unfortunately, I am afraid that this was 1 of the fewer defeats of the "fotoreporter" presently immortalized on the tenement home at 89 Podwale Staromiejskie Street. His victims, due to the passage of time, are not even able to uncover the scale of the injuries they suffered due to TW “Halski” – a snitch with a camera,
Red. Anna Pisarska from the portal “Strefa Prestiż” cannot realize the intentions of the authorities of Gdańsk in creating specified “heroes” as Z. Kosycz. So let me make my point. It is not in the individual interest of the Gdańsk authorities to honour street names, street signs, street signs or murals on the buildings of decent and competent people, and at the same time deserved for the city. president Alexandra Dulkiewicz, together with his closest colleagues, is improbable to meet each of these conditions together. So why close your door to immortalize your name in public space for reasons specified as a “mule” as a blameless biography? There's a method to this madness.
Henryk Jezierski
Photos:
Author and public domains
(26.11.2020)
