The Secret State Series #5
Story of a Secret State stands as one of the most poignant and inspiring memoirs of World War II and the Holocaust. With elements of a spy thriller, documenting his experiences in the Polish Underground, and as one of the first accounts of the systematic slaughter of the Jews by the German Nazis, this volume is a remarkable testimony of one man's courage and a nation's struggle for resistance against overwhelming oppression.
Karski was a brilliant young diplomat when war broke out in 1939 with Hitler's invasion of Poland. Taken prisoner by the Soviet Red Army, which had simultaneously invaded from the East, Karski narrowly escaped the subsequent Katyn Forest Massacre. He became a member of the Polish Underground, the most significant resistance movement in occupied Europe, acting as a liaison and courier between the Underground and the Polish government-in-exile. He was twice smuggled into the Warsaw Ghetto, and entered the Nazi's Izbica transit camp disguised as a guard, witnessing first-hand the horrors of the Holocaust.
Karski's courage and testimony, conveyed in a breathtaking manner in Story of a Secret State, offer the narrative of one of the world's greatest eyewitnesses and an inspiration for all of humanity, emboldening each of us to rise to the challenge of standing up against evil and for human rights. This definitive edition—which includes a foreword by Madeleine Albright, a biographical essay by Yale historian Timothy Snyder, an afterword by Zbigniew Brzezinski, previously unpublished photos, notes, further reading, and a glossary—is an apt legacy for this hero of conscience during the most fraught and fragile moment in modern history.
Karski was a brilliant young diplomat when war broke out in 1939 with Hitler's invasion of Poland. Taken prisoner by the Soviet Red Army, which had simultaneously invaded from the East, Karski narrowly escaped the subsequent Katyn Forest Massacre. He became a member of the Polish Underground, the most significant resistance movement in occupied Europe, acting as a liaison and courier between the Underground and the Polish government-in-exile. He was twice smuggled into the Warsaw Ghetto, and entered the Nazi's Izbica transit camp disguised as a guard, witnessing first-hand the horrors of the Holocaust.
Karski's courage and testimony, conveyed in a breathtaking manner in Story of a Secret State, offer the narrative of one of the world's greatest eyewitnesses and an inspiration for all of humanity, emboldening each of us to rise to the challenge of standing up against evil and for human rights. This definitive edition—which includes a foreword by Madeleine Albright, a biographical essay by Yale historian Timothy Snyder, an afterword by Zbigniew Brzezinski, previously unpublished photos, notes, further reading, and a glossary—is an apt legacy for this hero of conscience during the most fraught and fragile moment in modern history.
Jan Karski was born in ód , Poland, in 1914.
He received a degree in Law and Diplomatic Science in 1935 and served as a liaison officer of the Polish Underground during World War II. He carried the first eyewitness report of the Holocaust to a mostly unbelieving West, meeting with President Roosevelt in 1943 to plead for Allied intervention. Story of a Secret State was originally published in 1944, becoming a bestseller and Book of the Month Club selection. After the war, Karski earned his PhD at Georgetown University, where he served as a distinguished professor in the School of Foreign Service for forty years. He died in Washington, DC, in 2000. Karski has been recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem. In 2012, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by our President.
"His wartime saga as officer, as Soviet prisoner, as escapee, in the hands of the Gestapo, and as a Polish Underground activist and courier, is beyond remarkable. In a world today where words such as 'courage' and 'heroism' have been so overused—applied freely from sports to entertainment to politics as to be rendered practically meaningless—Jan Karski was the rare human being who embodied both."
He received a degree in Law and Diplomatic Science in 1935 and served as a liaison officer of the Polish Underground during World War II. He carried the first eyewitness report of the Holocaust to a mostly unbelieving West, meeting with President Roosevelt in 1943 to plead for Allied intervention. Story of a Secret State was originally published in 1944, becoming a bestseller and Book of the Month Club selection. After the war, Karski earned his PhD at Georgetown University, where he served as a distinguished professor in the School of Foreign Service for forty years. He died in Washington, DC, in 2000. Karski has been recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem. In 2012, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by our President.
"His wartime saga as officer, as Soviet prisoner, as escapee, in the hands of the Gestapo, and as a Polish Underground activist and courier, is beyond remarkable. In a world today where words such as 'courage' and 'heroism' have been so overused—applied freely from sports to entertainment to politics as to be rendered practically meaningless—Jan Karski was the rare human being who embodied both."
"In the words of James Russell Lowell's rousing hymn:
'Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide, in the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side.' Perhaps more than most of us, Jan Karski faced such a choice in the starkest of possible terms, and made his decision as courageously as one could. . . . Jan Karski was a patriot and a truth teller; may his words always be read and his legacy never forgotten.
"Secret State is an indispensable and compelling historical document of World War II and the Holocaust, written by a supremely courageous humanitarian."
"Secret State is an indispensable and compelling historical document of World War II and the Holocaust, written by a supremely courageous humanitarian."
The Secret State Series #5:
The Secret State #5 “Forbidden to Die”
by Jan Karski: Highlights and excerpts by PL Sturgis:
by Jan Karski: Highlights and excerpts by PL Sturgis:
The Secret state Series 1: “The Underground” by Jan Karski:
Introduction: During my four and a half months absence while captured by the Russians and the the Germans, Conditions in Poland had changed considerably. The first few conversations made me conscious of the fact that the consolidation of the underground had practically been achieved. The movement had crystallized into the major organization: The coalition of the four largest political parties;
1) The Peasants
2) The Socialist
3) The Christian Labor
4) The Nationalist.
This was the official military organization which had been recognized by the government as a military unit enjoying equal rights with the Polish Army in France. The most important need for that third party was to unite and agree on a chief delegate. The government was not interested in the personality of the candidate, nor his political affiliation, nor was he to become involved in party representation. The government would confirm the appointment of any individual who possessed authority and had the confidence of the population.
(hmmmm? 1940 sounds familiar in 2017)
The Polish underground State to which Karski belonged was under the authority of the Polish government in London. He admitted that besides this organization there were other organizations carrying on their activities under the direct influence of Moscow. Being the first active member of the Polish Underground and in the fortunate position to publish some aspect of its story, he hoped that it would encourage others to relate their experiences and that out of such narratives the free people all over the world would be able to form an objective opinion as to how the Polish people reacted during the years of German conquest.
Daily Bites of The Secret State Series #5:
“Forbidden to Die”
Bites #21-25,Requesting a Priest:
#22) Risking Everything:
#23) A Small Break Through:
#24) A Taste of Liberty:
#25) A Feeling of Security:
by Jan Karski :The stern doctor harshly demanded, “Lie still and let me examine you!” He turned to the nurse and ordered her to remove a tray and bring some ointment and bandages. As she left the room she stumbled against the guard, scattering the contents of the tray on the floor. The guard hastened to help the nurse pick them up and while they were engaged in groping about on the floor the doctor whispered to me: “Courage! As soon as I leave begin whining and groaning. shout out that you are going to die and you wish to go to confession. when the nurse returned he issued instructions to her. “Change his dressing every two hours. See that he doesn’t get out of bed. If you need me call me.” ----”And as for you, young man!” he ordered, “If you want to live you will follow my instructions!” After the nurse changed my bandages I began to twist about wildly, gradually working up to a series of frenzied convulsive moments, accompanied by loud moans. I wailed loudly: “I am going to die. I need to go to confession! Please sister? Speak to the doctor. don’t let me die a sinner.” she glanced at me stonily and walked over to consult with the Gestapo guard. He was of a different breed than most I had seen. Indeed, his face was noteworthy for his lack of any positive expression. It was blankly devoid or either intelligence or stupidity, sympathy, or cruelty. When the sister addressed him he snapped to attention and simply nodded his agreement. She returned with the head physician who eyed me with annoyance and distaste. “Can’t you be a man? If you are determined to die we can not help you!” Then he ordered the sister to bring a wheelchair.
#22) Risking Everything:
A wheel chair was brought in. The nurse tucked me into a bath robe and helped me into the wheel chair. I continued to moan and whine while the doctor continued to yell at me. The nurse wheeled me out of the room with the Nazi guard marching behind us as if it were a military parade. I made my confession to an old kindly priest, who displayed great sympathy and concern for me. At the conclusion of my confession he placed his hand on my shoulder and said in consolation: “Do not be afraid, my boy. Maintain your faith in God. We are all aware of your suffering for our beloved Poland. Everyone in the hospital is anxious to help you. My confession left me with a feeling of tranquility and peace. It did not endure very long. For the next few days I had to concentrate on appearing deathly ill. My body responded to this need. Psychologists have insisted that the physical and psychic life of an individual are closely linked. I actually became very sick. My temperature went up and I couldn’t eat. I had a perpetual headache. I had been granted daily visits to the chapel by the authorities. One day I was in the chapel praying when the sister who had brought me in knelt down beside me. I studied her face with its courageous, determined lines, and I decided to risk everything. Her calm firmness gave me reassurance. I leaned over and whispered to her. “I want to ask you to do something for me but first I want you to know it may be dangerous. Feel free to decline. It is important for me to know if you are a good Polish citizen?” --- “I love Poland” she said. I told her the name of a family in town with a daughter named Stef. “Can you please find her and tell her what has happened to me?” I gave her the address. “I will do it today” she said quietly.
#23) A Small Break Through:
After I had made my request to the nun to search for this family and give them my story, I felt a great burden slip from my mind. Not that I expected much to materialize from it, but at least it lightened the burden of being all alone in a hostile world. It also gave me a friend in the nun whom I could trust completely, and in whose character I could place my confidence. When I saw the sister again, I looked at her with questioning eyes. “You will be visited in a few days by a nun from a convent near by. “Why a nun?” I asked. “I don’t know” she said. “That is the message I am to bring.” I was really on edge for the next few days but i realized if my friends had gone to the length of sending a person to visit me, it meant a plan was already afoot. The third day after our conversation, shortly after noon, the nun arrived. It was the sister of my guide who had been apprehended with me by the Gestapo that dreadful night when we coveted just one night’s rest. Her voice sounded girlish. “I am a nun from a near by convent. The authorities have permitted me to bring cigarettes and food to the prisoners. Do you need anything?” I mumbled so she would have to lean over to hear me. “I can’t hear you?” She said this loudly for the sake of the guard. Then she bent over me and whispered. “Word has been sent to your superiors. Be patient.” I learned the technique of speaking without moving my lips. “What happened to your brother?” Tears welled up in her eyes. “No news” she whispered. I asked her to tell my superior I must have a poison pill. I was sure the Gestapo brought me here to give away the underground organization in this vicinity.
#24) A Taste of Liberty:
I was sure the Gestapo had brought me here to Preszow Hospital to investigate the underground work in this vicinity. I wanted a poison pill in case there was anymore probing and questioning, followed by torture and brutality. The nun promised she would return in a few days. The period till she returned was one of endless suspense. Beyond these hospital walls plans were being formed for my rescue and I could almost taste liberty and freedom. It was maddening to be in bed waiting. When she finally returned she brought fruit and placed it on the shelf next to my bed. Again I muttered and she stooped down cupping her hand to her ear. Then we would whisper hurriedly, our words tumbling over each other in our desire to crowd as much information as possible into a short moment. She began to speak with tremendous excitement and I had to stroke her hand repeatedly to calm her down and prevent her from raising her voice. “They know everything. You have been awarded the Cross of valour!” She pretended to smooth my pillow and whispered without looking at me. “I have put a cyanide pillow under your pillow. It kills quickly. I implore you! Do not use it unless you are absolutely sure the worst has come!” ---- I looked at her gratefully. After her departure I felt a surge of courage and determination. I was now armed against the worst contingencies. The poison pill gave me a sense of luxury. I had a way out against the eventualities I worried most about; against their torture and the fact that I may crack and betray my country. As soon as I could I went to the wash room and hid the tiny capsule between my thighs.
#25) A Feeling of Security:
So great was my feeling of security brought to me by the nun that it served to even quell my disappointment of the fact that the nun had given no intimation of a plan for my escape. NOt wishing to appear demanding, I had stifled the questions that had been on the tip of my tongue, all during her visit. However, events soon began to move rapidly. That evening the young doctor with the face of a country lad, came to give me, what I presumed, was a routine examination. When he was through he peered quizically at my face, as if trying to read in it my chances for recovery. Then, in a normal semi-humorous tone, that left me aghast, he drawled: “You are going to be set free tonight.” I felt as though I had been stung! I sat bolt upright! “Are you mad?” I asked. “Don’t be so loud” he whispered. “The guard will hear you! He only left for water! Please watch yourself carefully!” Then he chuckled. “Don’t worry. We have bribed him. He won’t come back while I am here. Now listen carefully. Everything has been arranged. At midnight I will pass the room and light a cigarette. That is your cue. Hop into your clothes and go to the first floor. In one of the window sills you will find a rose. Jump from that sill. Men will be stationed below.” He paused a moment. “Is that clear?” he asked. “Yes! Yes! I understand perfectly. I repeated his directions in a strained voice. He patted me on the shoulder. Relax and don’t worry! he said. Well, I knew I could follow the directions he gave.... but his last directions to relax and don’t worry were impossible to follow.
The Secret State: Series 5:
#1) Attempting Suicide:
#2) In a Slovakian Hospital:
#3) Unwanted Blood Transfusion:
#4) Planning a Second attempt to Die:
#5) Mingled Emotions:
#6) France Surrenders:
#7: Deep Despair:
#8) Germany’s Fake News:
#9) Forced to Leave the Hospital:
#10) Back in the Prison Cell:
#11) Beloved Mother Land:
#12) The Kind Slovakian Guard:
#13) When Death is a Privilege:
#14) Help from the Enemy:
#15) Back in the Hospital:
#16) The Message in the Roses:
#17) The Deceivers are Deceived:
#18) Back to Where I Started:
#19) Beloved Mother Land:
#20) Doctor’s Orders:
#21) Requesting a Priest:
#22) Risking Everything:
#23) A Small Break Through:
#24) A Taste of Liberty:
#25) A Feeling of Security:
#26) Path to Freedom:
#27) Now or Never:
#28) Freedom is not Free:
#29) Hearts of Gold:
#30) A Free Man Once Again:
To be Continued in the Next Daily Bites of “The Secret State Series #5”
Note: We at Friends of Liberty cannot make any warranties about the completeness, reliability and accuracy of this information.
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A wheel chair was brought in. The nurse tucked me into a bath robe and helped me into the wheel chair. I continued to moan and whine while the doctor continued to yell at me. The nurse wheeled me out of the room with the Nazi guard marching behind us as if it were a military parade. I made my confession to an old kindly priest, who displayed great sympathy and concern for me. At the conclusion of my confession he placed his hand on my shoulder and said in consolation: “Do not be afraid, my boy. Maintain your faith in God. We are all aware of your suffering for our beloved Poland. Everyone in the hospital is anxious to help you. My confession left me with a feeling of tranquility and peace. It did not endure very long. For the next few days I had to concentrate on appearing deathly ill. My body responded to this need. Psychologists have insisted that the physical and psychic life of an individual are closely linked. I actually became very sick. My temperature went up and I couldn’t eat. I had a perpetual headache. I had been granted daily visits to the chapel by the authorities. One day I was in the chapel praying when the sister who had brought me in knelt down beside me. I studied her face with its courageous, determined lines, and I decided to risk everything. Her calm firmness gave me reassurance. I leaned over and whispered to her. “I want to ask you to do something for me but first I want you to know it may be dangerous. Feel free to decline. It is important for me to know if you are a good Polish citizen?” --- “I love Poland” she said. I told her the name of a family in town with a daughter named Stef. “Can you please find her and tell her what has happened to me?” I gave her the address. “I will do it today” she said quietly.
#23) A Small Break Through:
After I had made my request to the nun to search for this family and give them my story, I felt a great burden slip from my mind. Not that I expected much to materialize from it, but at least it lightened the burden of being all alone in a hostile world. It also gave me a friend in the nun whom I could trust completely, and in whose character I could place my confidence. When I saw the sister again, I looked at her with questioning eyes. “You will be visited in a few days by a nun from a convent near by. “Why a nun?” I asked. “I don’t know” she said. “That is the message I am to bring.” I was really on edge for the next few days but i realized if my friends had gone to the length of sending a person to visit me, it meant a plan was already afoot. The third day after our conversation, shortly after noon, the nun arrived. It was the sister of my guide who had been apprehended with me by the Gestapo that dreadful night when we coveted just one night’s rest. Her voice sounded girlish. “I am a nun from a near by convent. The authorities have permitted me to bring cigarettes and food to the prisoners. Do you need anything?” I mumbled so she would have to lean over to hear me. “I can’t hear you?” She said this loudly for the sake of the guard. Then she bent over me and whispered. “Word has been sent to your superiors. Be patient.” I learned the technique of speaking without moving my lips. “What happened to your brother?” Tears welled up in her eyes. “No news” she whispered. I asked her to tell my superior I must have a poison pill. I was sure the Gestapo brought me here to give away the underground organization in this vicinity.
#24) A Taste of Liberty:
I was sure the Gestapo had brought me here to Preszow Hospital to investigate the underground work in this vicinity. I wanted a poison pill in case there was anymore probing and questioning, followed by torture and brutality. The nun promised she would return in a few days. The period till she returned was one of endless suspense. Beyond these hospital walls plans were being formed for my rescue and I could almost taste liberty and freedom. It was maddening to be in bed waiting. When she finally returned she brought fruit and placed it on the shelf next to my bed. Again I muttered and she stooped down cupping her hand to her ear. Then we would whisper hurriedly, our words tumbling over each other in our desire to crowd as much information as possible into a short moment. She began to speak with tremendous excitement and I had to stroke her hand repeatedly to calm her down and prevent her from raising her voice. “They know everything. You have been awarded the Cross of valour!” She pretended to smooth my pillow and whispered without looking at me. “I have put a cyanide pillow under your pillow. It kills quickly. I implore you! Do not use it unless you are absolutely sure the worst has come!” ---- I looked at her gratefully. After her departure I felt a surge of courage and determination. I was now armed against the worst contingencies. The poison pill gave me a sense of luxury. I had a way out against the eventualities I worried most about; against their torture and the fact that I may crack and betray my country. As soon as I could I went to the wash room and hid the tiny capsule between my thighs.
#25) A Feeling of Security:
So great was my feeling of security brought to me by the nun that it served to even quell my disappointment of the fact that the nun had given no intimation of a plan for my escape. NOt wishing to appear demanding, I had stifled the questions that had been on the tip of my tongue, all during her visit. However, events soon began to move rapidly. That evening the young doctor with the face of a country lad, came to give me, what I presumed, was a routine examination. When he was through he peered quizically at my face, as if trying to read in it my chances for recovery. Then, in a normal semi-humorous tone, that left me aghast, he drawled: “You are going to be set free tonight.” I felt as though I had been stung! I sat bolt upright! “Are you mad?” I asked. “Don’t be so loud” he whispered. “The guard will hear you! He only left for water! Please watch yourself carefully!” Then he chuckled. “Don’t worry. We have bribed him. He won’t come back while I am here. Now listen carefully. Everything has been arranged. At midnight I will pass the room and light a cigarette. That is your cue. Hop into your clothes and go to the first floor. In one of the window sills you will find a rose. Jump from that sill. Men will be stationed below.” He paused a moment. “Is that clear?” he asked. “Yes! Yes! I understand perfectly. I repeated his directions in a strained voice. He patted me on the shoulder. Relax and don’t worry! he said. Well, I knew I could follow the directions he gave.... but his last directions to relax and don’t worry were impossible to follow.
(to be continued) ....
(To be continued )
Daily Bites of The Secret State Series #5
“Forbidden to Die”
#27) Now or Never:
#28) Freedom is not Free:
#29) Hearts of Gold:
#30) A Free Man Once Again:
by Jan Karski 1944 :
“From The Secret State”
#1) Attempting Suicide:
#2) In a Slovakian Hospital:
#3) Unwanted Blood Transfusion:
#4) Planning a Second attempt to Die:
#5) Mingled Emotions:
#6) France Surrenders:
#7: Deep Despair:
#8) Germany’s Fake News:
#9) Forced to Leave the Hospital:
#10) Back in the Prison Cell:
#11) Beloved Mother Land:
#12) The Kind Slovakian Guard:
#13) When Death is a Privilege:
#14) Help from the Enemy:
#15) Back in the Hospital:
#16) The Message in the Roses:
#17) The Deceivers are Deceived:
#18) Back to Where I Started:
#19) Beloved Mother Land:
#20) Doctor’s Orders:
#21) Requesting a Priest:
#22) Risking Everything:
#23) A Small Break Through:
#24) A Taste of Liberty:
#25) A Feeling of Security:
#26) Path to Freedom:
#27) Now or Never:
#28) Freedom is not Free:
#29) Hearts of Gold:
#30) A Free Man Once Again:
LibertygroupFreedom
https://redd.it/6y400k
“Forbidden to Die”
"FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM AND LIBERTY"
Stand Up To Government Corruption and Hypocrisy
NEVER FORGET THE SACRIFICES
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