Introduction

The military settlement (osadnictwo wojskowe) of the Eastern Borderlands has a permanent place in the history of the Second Republic of Poland though its effect was limited to a group of people of approximately 9,000 soldiers who served their country in the battle for independence during the period of 1914-1920. The idea of settlements in the Borderlands was born in the hot days of August 1920 and received legal backing through a bill passed by the Sejm (Parliament) on 17 December of that same year.

The original purpose of the Land Act was to ensure a buffer zone between Poland and the Soviets was created and settled with men who had not only patriotically served Poland in the Polish-Soviet War, but those with hardened battlefield experience who could be mobilised at short notice; that then became the premise for the deportations which were aimed at reducing Poland's ability to defend itself.

Extracts from the Act of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland 
​ACT  1 17 December 1920

regarding acquisition of land in certain districts of the Republic of Poland into State ownership
Article 6. ​This Act applies in the following districts in accordance with the administrative divisions

used to date:
1) Brześć, 2) Prużana, 3) Wołkowysk, 4) Słonin, 5) Nowogródek, 6) Baranowicze,

7) Wilejka, 8) Dzisna, 9) Nieśwież, 10) Łuniniec, 11) Pińsk, 12) Kobryń, 13) Włodzimierz,

14) Kowel, 15) Łuck, 16) Równe, 17) Dubno, 18) Sarny, 19) Krzemieniec, 20) Ostroga,

21) Grodno, 22) Lida.

(Ed note: i.e. 5 voivodeships (Wilno, Białystok, Nowogródek, Polesie, Wołyn)

ACT  2 17 December 1920 

regarding the granting of land to soldiers of the Polish Army
Article 2. The following shall be entitled to be given land given at no cost           
        a)  war invalids and Polish army soldiers who particularly distinguished themselves,          
        b)  volunteer soldiers to the Polish army who served on the front.
Article 3. All other invalids and soldiers capable of agricultural work may purchase land depending on availability.                                         

Link to full texts of Act 1 and 2 (Ustawy)

Link to an Akt Nadawczy - Deed of Land Endowment

The bill soon met with aggressive opposition in the Sejm as well as attacks from the press. Various groups that criticized this legislation, which was supported by Józef Piłsudski, (Marshal Piłsudski was Military dictator of Poland at the time) saw in the military settlement of the Borderlands a threat to their political and/or economic agendas. 

This law ended on 28 Dec 1923. A new law in March 1932 gave ex-soldiers the priority in purchasing land. Settlers in the 2 southern voivodeships were those who purchased land after 1932 in the framework of the land reform and officially were recognised as “cywilne osady”, civilian settlements, often called “kolonie”.

The living conditions of the settlers were extremely difficult in the first few years. The plots that were granted them were often overgrown with weeds and generally devastated by war and with no buildings on them. The settlers often lacked the most primitive agricultural tools and equipment at a time when soldiers’ pockets were empty.

With the passage of time, the situation of the soldiers improved. By the 1930s, articles in the newspapers assessed the accomplishments of the settlers and their positive role in the Borderlands favourably and sometimes even enthusiastically. In the east where many ethnic groups such as Poles, Ukrainians, Belarusians and Jews, as well as other smaller minorities came together as in a crucible, the settlers managed to coexist with the local population based on the principle of being good neighbours, rather than the relationship of “Polish Lord” to the Ukrainian or Belarusian “Peasant”.

The invasion by the Soviets onto Polish territory destroyed the Settlement of the Borderlands movement. The settlers and their families, with few exceptions, were forcibly deported into the heart of the inhuman Soviet land where they were decimated by disease and hunger. Some of them escaped to the free world in 1942 with the army of General Anders, but most of them only returned to their homeland after the end of the war. The settlers and their children were scattered all over the world.  

At the initiative of the children of Osada Krechowiecka in Wołyń, the first meeting of osadnicy (settlers) and their children was organized in 1983 in the scout hostel in Fenton, Lincolnshire. It was at this time that the OROK (Ognisko Rodzin Osadnikow Kresowych) (Association of Military Settlers of Kresy) came into being with Czesław Pukacz, an osadnik at Osada Krechowiecka as its first president. From that time onward, annual meetings of the settlers and their families have taken place in Fenton in September, and from 1990, also in London in February/March. The love of their settlements, as well as the admiration and respect for their parents’ pioneering work, have led the members of the Association to publish the reminiscences of the “younger” generation of the settlers in the form of a book.

Source materials about the subject of the osady are sparse. The extensive archive of the Związek Osadników (Settlers’ Union) in Warsaw was destroyed during the German occupation and the fate of the archives of the various Województwa (Provinces) and Powiat (counties) of the Związek Osadników which ended up in the hands of the Soviets, are still unknown to this point in time. Some documents relating to the Settlement Program can be found in the Centralny Archiwum Wojskowy (Central Military Archive) in Rembert and the Archiwum Akt Nowych (Archive of New Records) in Warsaw. Some periodicals of the Settlement Program have survived in Warsaw libraries. These include: Osadnik (1923-25), Rolnik i Zagroda (1925-29), Miesięcznik Osadniczy (1929-31), and the weekly Rolnik i Zagroda which resumed publication in 1938, as well as the reports of the activities of the Związek Osadników for the years 1931-33, 1933-35 and 1935-37.

In these circumstances, the reminiscences of the sons and daughters of the settlers contained in this book are an additional resource and constitute a valuable contribution to the history of the settlement program, as well as providing a window onto life in the Borderlands in that era. It is true that the authors of these reminiscences have reached back to a time of their lives more than 50 years ago, but this was the time of their carefree childhood days which were tragically interrupted by their deportation to Siberia. As a result, that time has remained frozen in their memories, preserving the freshness of a good photograph. These memories have undoubtedly been supplemented by the stories told by their parents who by talking about the difficult early days of the settlements, strove to evoke in their children pride in the accomplishments of their parents, as well as in their osada origins.

Osadnik list showing osady and settlers' names is on our research page 

Plans of osady
OROK (Ognisko Rodzin Osadników Kresowych) - a short history

​​
Pre-war  Memories from military settlements

Index

(Click links on left.  Translations of the remaining recollections are in progress and will be uploaded in due course)