DAILY LIFE IN POLAND; WORK CONDITIONS/USE OF ALCOHOL/FORMS OF ENTERTAINMENT/GENERAL MORALE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00926A006700610001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 5, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 18, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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CONFIDENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY Poland
SUBJECT Daily Life in Poland.: Work Conditions/Use of Alcohol/
Forms of Entertainment/General Morale
PLACE ACQUIRED
(BY SOURCE)
DATE ACQUIRED
(BY SOURCE)
DATE (OF INF
SOURCE
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THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES. WITHIN THEMEANING OF TITLE IS. SECTIONS 7111
AND 794. OF THE U.S. CODE. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR NEVE.
LATION Of ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT 11V AN UNAUTHORIVED PERSON IS
T T T . T. P.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
DATE DISTR./rJan 1954
NO. OF PAGES 4
NO. OF ENCLS.
SUPP. TO
REPORT NO.
1. "The following information dates up through 1953: 25X1C
2. "In Pol',nd, .1.1most everybody .works nowadays. Young girls, up to the age of 17-18
attend high school (Gymnasium), but some even begin working at the age of 16-17.
They might 6o into an office or work as a salesgirl, a Bugetowa, Lbarmaiji waitress,
or the;., migr- work in the kitchen of some enterprise or in a plant, etc. Boys dliim
attend high schools, or they learn a trade.
3 "Both boys and young girls join at the age of 17 or 18 the SPD organization (which
is the Arbeitsdienst) but I do not know how long their membership lasts. I do not
know whether one has to join the SPD or not.
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4. "At the age of 21, men are drafted into military service for a period of two to three
years. If a man is married (when he is drafted), his wife gets no support not even if
they have children, and his wife must go to work. A married woman is not bound to go
to work, but in the majority of cases, her husband earns so little that she goes to
work in order that the family may live a little better.
5. 0:However, it might occur that a couple or even a single person does not work. In
that case, the UB, the Militia and even the WOP (in the border zones) get, busy finding
out how the couple or the single person lives (what means of livelihood they have).
In view of the fact that in the Karpaez-Bierutowice areas, many thefts are taking place,
suspicion naturally falls on those people who do not work; in fact, searches are being
made in their homes and many arrests are taking place. If there is no evidence against
them, naturally they are set free. However, it might also occur that thes,people are
arrested for Bumelantswo Lseditionff. In all events, it is much better to be employed.
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6. "Every person in Poland must pay special attention to the fact that he shoulAn't go
too often to places of entertainment (dancing). He should watch the amount of sash
he spends, Civilian-dressed 1513 agents watch all people and guests in, for innce,
a-Offee house. If a person drinks too much, and in the event he begins talkir4!,
about Politics, or swearing against the regime, CommuniStS,'ete then he loses hio
freed* 'fpr Many years. The best thing is to'keeP'Your mouth shut, because even a ?
neighbor ay betray you .
25X1A
7. "If a person is a habitue that is, if he gobs Abre often-tis a coffee house than is
usual, and in the event' he spends quite large sums, then the UL finds out ;ho he is,
where he works, and what he earns. In other words, investigation is made to find
64 'Whether 'he has made anythefts,. whether he ha6.46aPkopriated funds o2 the
enterori6e.4hdior institution Where he 'is 6.416Aid, whether he hs.6 some other private
earnings, whether he has some c=nectiord-WIth'fbreign'eurrency Smuggli.mg ur qbtether
he hae.purchaped some'art)teles 4n.tentre,i'oland which he has then brough6 inlx, the
region-I/nerd he resides for sale at a higher' priC0'. It is forbidden is l'otsva to
purchase articles and resell them for a profit. This kind or peopl art miled
speculators and are veryseVerely punished if they are caught. ilvertiaeles, Luc,:!Je
speculators are everywhere and grow like MuShrooMS:troM the earth when it minc,'" so
many are there nowadays in Poland.
8. in Poland people drink a great deal of vodka I have asked many c,e tae w wiry they dink
so much. Almost on all occasions I had the same reply: 'What do wget frori. this
life? With vodka we forget anything'. Drunkards are seen everyday lying on the
streets. If they are caught by the Militia, they are Sent to jail to ;,)i:r up. During
working hours, the use of 'alcohol is prohibited, out in spito of prohibition .?eos.le
drink. If a supervisor catches a worker arinking, or in the event he is drunk auring
working hours, the worker gets two warning's. The third time they eAtch him drinking
or drunk, he is fired.,,,cs.
In Poland i a farmer purchases a pig from another farmer (]et us say his neighbor),
and if they reach an agreement on the price, then they drink together t a liter, or
even more, of vodka Without drinking, business cannot be conducted. This
naturally holds true not only for farmers but for all 'private trbncactions.
10. "In _Poland there _IF.' an eight-hour day. However, in enterprises such at thPJ, this
is not taken into consideration. In this type of institution and/or enterpric,
.workers put in 10, 12 and even 15 hours a day; this is because in those ,intitutions
there is always muchwork to do. Wages are very law, and many of the personnel
go to another enterprise if they can get better jobs (Since there is suffic.lent uork
in Poland). Overtime is not paid in these institutions; whether this holds true for
all of PolaEd I do not know. 14 the majority of cases, ,premiums in csssh are organ1.4ed,
for 1 1ay.L!,lay.DaY17, which are handed to various workers, and which might be as much
as 100 and even l0 zloty. This takes place as fellows. On, May Day, many meetings
take place throughout Poland, all enterprises and institutions being closed, and the
personnel must participate in these meetings;. At the end. of the mass meetings, the
personnel return to their enterprises, and there the director, vice-director ana
many others make speeches. After the speeches, some of the workers (not all, of
course) are called, and they receive the premium as well as than for the work
performed.. They also are urged to increase their production.' Some of the workers,
but very few, get an award, the so-called PrzodoWnik pracy, which is a red meds3, and
which the Polish State issues only to its best:werkers. 25X1A
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13: "The daily routine is as follows: Everyone goes to work, and when working hours are
over, the worker is i'ree, provided there are no Zebranie (meetingu). Meetings take
place 'in the enterpriSe'andior institution, and discussions include almost all kinds
of subjects --- work, what is needed, what has to be made, why this or that wasn't
yet performed, etc. Everyone is bound to attend these meetings, since a roll call
is taken. If a worker is absent, then he must have an excuse. If the excuse is a
very good one, then the case is closed, but in any case, it is strongly emphasized to
an absentee that another absence might lead to very unpleasant consequences, since every
absence will be booked and registered in his personnel file. Any worker ha a hie own
personal registry or file, and various things are booked in, i e whether he is a good
or a bad worker, whether he drinks (for female workers, whether she is slow in her
work, not clean, etc). In the event a worker leaves an enterprise and finds a job
in. anotherinstitution, he cannot begin work there until his character references arep
sent from the last enterprise to the new one. Whether he is hired or not depends 04
his character reference.
14. "In the event there is no Zebranie, and one has free time, then in the evening one
.goes to a movie or dancing or visits some friends and spends the evening With them. '
15. "Men, at least in the locality where I resided, live as follows: they drink, play
cards, have women (and not a few of these) and eventually go dancing. Women 'do the
following; dance, have men, and drink...Naturally, not all people are like this;
there are exceptions, who live normally and quietly. the latter go to a movie, to
a dance, from time to time take a drink, sometimes do a little flirting and that is
all. When the season is in full swing, there are many changes. Every 14 days, guests
25X1X (of the various rest centers) come pouring in. Life however, is still the same: work,..
A movie is too far away (one hour away from ) consequently I went home?work
and home, like a robot. For the person who knew she really good life in Poland
possible- in. the good old timee, there is. now. much suffering. Poliph morale is
lower than any expectation. The motion pictures which can be seen there are all
Soviet, French and Czech. In the majority of cases, the subjects of these motion
pictures deal with war, or they are propaganda films, with subjects which drive the
ordinary person nuts and get on his nerves. However, if a good film does arrive there,
then it is impossible to see it, for the auditorium is overcrowded and you can't get
a ticket.
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16. "Sometimes in Poland, people get married very young. However, these marriages do not
always last for a long time. Then there are divorces. In Poland only a municipal
marriage is valid. Religious weddings are not prohibited and one is free to choose.
However, the religious wedding or marriage has no legal validity, since a woman married
in this way does not get her husband's nane (surname). One year ago, that is, in
1952, one could still get married only in the Church. Nowadays, a couple can get
married with a religious wedding only after having been married in a civil service.
Prior to this provision of law being enforced in Poland, many couples, who were already
married in the Church Cut not living together) made a new marriage in a civil court.
The new civil marriaga was fully recognized, while the other (religious) one was not
Couples, married only with the religious rite, are not recognized as married by the
Polish State. If a couple intends to get divorced, and supposing that they have not
lived together for three years, all that is necessary to get a divorce is to produce
two witnesses who will swear that the couple has not been living together for that
length of time. This over, the couple is automatically divorced.
890.2 55m
762.1 55m
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