Widy-Wirski Feliks Teodor „Jakub", „Rosław"
Feliks Teodor Widy, son of Józef and Matylda née Kleczko, born July 11, 1907, in Lviv. His father was a surveyor, his mother died of tuberculosis when he was still an infant (1908). His father remarried Halina Ryżewicz. From this marriage came a brother, Władysław.
He completed primary school in home conditions.
He attends high school in Strzyżów. In 1922, he moves with his family to Grudziądz, where he joins the Polish Scouts Association, and later to Brodnica, where he completes his high school education (matriculation exam in 1925).
In 1925, he begins studies at the University of Poznań, Faculty of Medicine. In 1931, he obtains a medical doctor's diploma.
In 1925, he becomes a member of the National Youth Organization. In 1927, as a result of merging with other groups, it is transformed into the Polish Democratic Youth Union, where he is drawn into the so-called "Zet" group or Fraternal Circle, an internal and elite group. At the University of Poznań, he is elected president of the PDYU, a position he holds until 1930. During this time, he gets to know J. Stachniuk, also a member of the YMD (1928). In the academic year 1929/1930, he was elected President of the Executive Committee of Higher Education Schools of ZPMD in Poznań. He also served as the editor of the ZPMD newspaper in Poznań, „Życie Uniwersyteckie”. At the end of 1929, he began medical practice at the Mental Health Institute in Owińska.
Starting in the fall of 1928, he began cooperating with the Security Department of the Provincial Office, which he interrupted in 1930 when he stopped being the president of the Polish Youth Movement (ZPMD).
In 1930, he wrote ""Currents of Ideas in the Academic Republic: Observations and Reflections", published by the Poznań District of the Polish Youth Democratic Association of Higher Schools of the Republic of Poland.
At the turn of 1931-1932, he completes his military service at the School of Junior Officers for Medical Service in Warsaw. He is then assigned to the 58th Infantry Regiment in Poznań, with the rank of corporal cadet, medical assistant. At the same time, he undergoes medical practice at the Gynecological and Obstetric Clinic and the Surgical Clinic.
For several weeks, he lived in Puck before moving to Poznań, where he works as a doctor at the Health Center. In 1932, he begins working at the Obstetric Hospital of the Social Insurance Fund in Poznań.
In 1932, he joins the Organization of Syndicalist Troops, due to its radicalism, the organization was dissolved by the district starosty.
After the split in Zet, he co-founded the Committee of Three, made his official apartment available for the editorial work of the magazine "From the World," and helped distribute it through cooperation with the Organization of Workers' Druzhinas. However, due to accusations that Red. Kowalewski was cooperating with the II Department of the General Staff, he ceased publishing this magazine.
Since 1933, he has been active in the Young Physicians Circle. From 1935 until the outbreak, he ran a private gynecological practice.
He was a co-founder of an organization associated with the peasant movement, the Polish Academic Rural Youth, which however quickly dissolved. He was president of the National Workers' Party-Left, which was transformed into the National Labour Party (St. Mroza) and was elected member of the Voivodeship Board, and then president of the City Board in Poznań. In 1935, he began cooperating with the President of Poznań, E. Więckowski, which involves cooperation with the authorities to counter the spread of communism and providing information on sentiments. He goes by the alias "Jakub".
In the same year, he assists in the publication and writes the preface for J. Stachniuk's book "Heroiczna Wspólnota Narodu (Kapitalizm epoki imperializmu a Polska)." Later, he tried to downplay his role, claiming that part of the print run was destroyed and that only part of the preface was his authorship. However, for example, S. Łoza attributes co-authorship of the book to him.
At the end of 1935, he began to operate in the Tenants and Subtenants Association of Poland, becoming a member of the Provincial Management Board.
In 1936, he was the chairman of the Reserve Officers' Association for the Poznań district.
In 1938, he was arrested on charges of abortion and causing a woman's death. Released from custody after the intervention of Voivode Maruszewski. Sentenced to 1 year in prison, he applied for a review of the judgment, but the outbreak of war interrupted the course of the case.
24 VIII 1939 he receives an assignment as a reserve second lieutenant to the Chief Medical Officer of the 18th Infantry Division and travels to Łomża, where he serves as a medical referent. After the death of the chief medical officer, he assumes his duties. On September 15, he is wounded in the leg and taken prisoner (Zambrów). After the Germans retreat, he goes to Białystok and then to his wife's family in Kobryń. From there, he goes to Vilnius, where he wants to work as a doctor; after the Lithuanians take over the city, he goes with his family to Kaunas and then to Tallinn. In December 1939, while trying to get to Stockholm by ferry, he is arrested and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp in Stargard. In March 1940, he is sent to the Gross-Born camp, from where, as a civilian, he is sent to the General Government, from where the Gestapo sends him to Pawiak. Thanks to medical documents obtained in Vilnius in June 1940, he is released.
After registering with the Medical Chamber in the summer of 1940, he receives work as a doctor at the Warsaw Social Insurance Ambulance. Initially as a home doctor, and later as a gynecologist. He also runs a private medical practice at his home. From 1941, he uses false documents under the name Wirski.
Since 1940, he reestablished contact with Jan Stachniuk.
Since 1941, he has been helping to publish the magazine "Sprawa" associated with the Polish Syndicalists' Union "Freedom and People," where he also wrote articles.
In 1942, after meeting with Z. Felczak, he becomes a member of the presidium of the Main Board of the Stronnictwo Pracy, and after the split, the Stronnictwo Zrywu Narodowego.
Since 1942, together with Felczak, they publish the magazine "Zryw", and under the pseudonym Grabski, he publishes the brochure "Outline of Economics. A Popular Lecture, Warsaw 1935".
29 VI 1943, arrested in a sublet office by the Gestapo, he was released.
He distanced himself from any connections with Zadruga, even downplaying the significance of his introduction to "Heroiczna Wspólnota Narodu," one of J. Stachniuk's works - "a few meaningless phrases." Although as late as 1946 he was accused of cooperating with Zadruga, for example by placing members of Zadruga and Zryw on electoral lists (Celica, Tilgner) and by publishing texts in the style of Zadruga in the Zryw periodical. These could have been unfounded accusations or elements of a power struggle within the Stronnictwo Pracy. According to B. Grotta, J. Stachniuk did not consider him a member of Zadruga. However, he did collaborate with Stachniuk, as evidenced by the "Ideograf" outline prepared by Stoigniew and the hopes that with Widi's help, it would be possible to resume publishing "Zadruga". He broke off contacts with the Zadruga members - according to B. Stepiński - only after reading the memorandum addressed by Stachniuk to W. Gomułka. Despite everything, it was Widy who caused the sick Stachniuk to be placed in a medical facility in Radość (now a district of Warsaw)
When the uprising breaks out, Widy helps build barricades and becomes a doctor of the 3rd company of the "Bartkiewicz" group of the I "Radwan" AK district - where a company was formed based on KPN soldiers, defending the Land Credit Society Building at Kredytowa Street - and in the Sanitarium of the Warsaw District AK "Bakcyl". He was to fight at Wilcza Street, then defend the Polytechnic. After the uprising, he left Warsaw with the civilian population - he hid in West Podkowa Leśna along with Z. Felczak. On November 30, 1944, a conference of "Zryw" activists took place in Milanówek with his participation, where the PKWN was recognized as the only legitimate authority and support for cooperation with the communist PPR was expressed. Two months later, the leadership revealed the organization, and Felczak and Widy proposed in a letter to the Secretariat of the CCA PPR on February 10, 1945, the revival of the SP based on the Stronnictwo Zrywu Narodowego. On January 19, 1945, he returned to Warsaw.
He hid Jews during the war, including an activist of the PPR named Poswolska "Dorota" and her husband, and organized false documents for Jews. He was awarded the medal Righteous Among the Nations after the war.
12 II 1945, he is appointed Vice-Voivode of Poznań, the nomination was issued under the name Widy-Wirski. On 06 VI 1945, he becomes the Voivode of Poznań. On behalf of the KPN, he sits in the authorities of the Association of Participants in Armed Struggle for Independence and Democracy, and is also a member of the General Board of the Polish-Soviet Friendship Society.
In 1945, he was reported to have expressed a desire to join the PPR (Polish United Workers' Party), but he was instead directed to the SP (Polish Labour Party) to organize a new Polish Labour Party, which was to be a rival to the group led by K. Popiel. This faction is referred to in the literature as the Polish Labour Party "Zryw". After the merger of the two groups, he became a member of the Main Board. Following the death of Z. Felczak and the departure of K. Popiel, he was elected first vice-president of the Main Board of the SP, and on 25 August 1946, he became its president.
1945, his book "Polska i rewolucja" (Poland and the Revolution) is published, as J. Tomasiewicz claims, written by J. Stachniuk but published under Wide's name. B. Grott mentions Stachniuk as an unofficial co-author.
On 9 August 1946, by decree of the President of the Provisional Government Council, he was appointed Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Information and Propaganda in the government of J. Cyrankiewicz (until 11 April 1947). In 1947, he became Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Culture and Art (until 2 April 1948), then took up the position of Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Navigation until 14 July 1950. On 4 September, he was appointed Chief Director of the State Medical Publishing House.
On October 10, 1949, he resigned as Secretary General and left the SP. He was a member of the National Council of the Republic and a member of parliament from 1947 to 1950, representing the SP.
Arrested on 2 December 1952 on charges of cooperation with security organs in Poznań in the years 1934-39, released from custody in December 1954. On 22 October 1955, the investigation was discontinued, and on 14 November 1955, the Deputy Prosecutor General of the General Prosecutor's Office approved the discontinuation. He became the director of the State Clinical Hospital No. 2 in Warsaw, began scientific work - habilitation, and subsequently received the position of full-time associate professor. In June, he was appointed deputy scientific secretary of the VI Department of Medical Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
From May 1961, Vice-Minister of Health and Social Welfare until 1964. After being dismissed, from 1965 to 1970, he became the head of the Polish Academy of Sciences research station in Paris, which was associated with the title of professor, which he received. Dismissed on October 31, 1970. In 1964, he became vice-chairman of the Executive Committee of the World Health Organization. From 1971 to 1981, director of the Main Medical Library, in 1973 appointed extraordinary professor, and in 1978, plenipotentiary for medical scientific information.
In 1956, he joins the PZPR and becomes a member of parliament from 1957 to 1965.
From 1933 married to Marta née Wołyncewicz (born May 31, 1911 in Kobryń). Two children: Krystyna Widy-Kierska (January 1, 1936) - a doctor, associate professor at the Institute of Oncology, and Rosław (July 14, 1944) - a medical doctor specializing in epidemiology.
Died on January 15, 1982, in Warsaw, and was buried at Powązki Cemetery.
Honors;
Cross of Valor (1944, 1945)
Cross of Grunwald III class (1945)
Cross of the Partisans (1946)
Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1946)Victory and Freedom Medal (1946)
Banner of Labour I class (1959)
Honor Badge „For Merits in the Development of the Poznań Voivodeship” (1964)
Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta with Star (1964)
Medal of the 30th Anniversary of the PRL (1974)
The "Distinguished Culture Activist" Badge (1975)
The Badge of a Distinguished Health Service Employee (1976)
Bronze Medal "For Merit to the Defense of the Country" (1979)
Cross of the Home Army (1981)
Righteous Among the Nations
Bibliography:
Archives:
IPN BU 01251/284 D
IPN Bu 0330/ 264
IPN BU 01974/356/J
IPN BU 00231/153/1
Literature:
Grott, B., Religia, cywilizacja, rozwój. Wokół idei Jana Stachniuka, Kraków 2003.
Piotrowski M., Service to Idea or Servility? Zygmunt Felczak and Feliks Widy-Wirski in the Latest History of Poland, Lublin 1994.
Tomasiewicz J., Po dwakroć niepokorni. Szkice z dziejów polskiej lewicy patriotycznej, Łódź 2014.
Rosołowski M., Zryw [in:] Encyklopedia Białych Plam vol. XVIII
Internet
http://www.1944.pl/powstancze-biogramy/feliks-widy,48181.html
Publications:
Currents of thought in the Academic Commonwealth : observations and reflections, Poznań 1930.
Considerations on the Future Poland and the Project of Establishing the National Creative Community, Warsaw 1942 on the cover Outline of Economics: A Popular Exposition / W. Grabski
Poland and the Revolution, Poznań 1945.
Collection of lectures delivered during a training course at the Poznań Provincial Office, Poznań 1946.
From the Basic Issues of the History of Medicine: An Attempt at an Introduction to Scientific History of Medicine, Warsaw 1959.
Perspective needs for the development of medical teaching and sciences in Poland : in the light of the resolution of the XI plenum of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party, Warsaw 1963.
Cervical cancer diagnosis, 1964.
Cervical cancer in the light of mass prevention tasks / co-author /, Warsaw 1961.
Cervical cancer in the light of mass prevention tasks (co-author)1961.
The Trail of Liberation - From the Military Conspiracy History of KPN, Warsaw 1974.
Automation of library and information processes : pilot solutions in the Main Medical Library - Center for Medical Scientific Information, Warsaw 1976.
Memories of the Voivode / Feliks Widy-Wirski. Warsaw 1980.
The Trail of Liberation: Memoirs.
Opr. Mariusz Dymek