Summary

The Civilian Committee for the Welfare of Polish Refugees in Hungary (functioning from November 1939 to March 1944, under the leadership of journalist Henryk Slawik) was in close working relationship with the IX Department of the Hungarian Ministry of Internal Affairs, a multi-functional self-help charity institution representing the general Polish community sojourning in the territory of the Hungarian kingdom after the temporary opening of the Polish border with Hungary between 17-28 IX 1939. Apart from the fundamental objectives of social character and suport for other refugee institutions specializing, most of all, in the area of culture and art (like, among others, the Polish Institute in Budapest or the Polish Club) the committee ran its own cultural activities partly through the transient cultural-educational commission (to October 1944 managed by the energetic writer Stanisław Viccnz).

Firstly, that depended on a wide spectrum of publication activities (mainly by the duplicating technic), which embraces both books and brochures (in the years 1941-1943 the 29th edition, mostly textbooks for Polish refugee schools) in addition to magazines with a cultural-educational profile (the weeklies "Nasza Świetlica. Materiały Obozowe" 1941-1943 and the "Tygodnik Polski. Materiały Obozowe" 1943-1944 as well as the monthly "Młodzież" 1943-1944). By the initiative of the committee a series of public lectures, referred to as Higher Courses, were inaugurated (January-March 1941), serving as a substitute for education at the academic level as well as organizing a representative exhibition of Polish refugees works in Hungary (Budapest, 29 VI - 3 VII 1943). Among activities of a more modest character and attracting significant interest from refugees could be mentioned, above all, four written refugee contests with awards (in 1941 contest in, originating from Hungary, literary works, translation from Hungarian belles-lettres as well as the refugee's diary, in 1944 there was a contest in academic dissertations). The activities of the civilian committee were suddenly terminated at the time of the German army invasion of Hungary when the real occupation of the country began (19 III 1944).