The Fight to Restore the Polish Collective Memory of the History of the Fourth Main Directorate of the Freedom and Independence after 1950

The article presents the struggles of patriotic activists with the communist authorities. Initially, the Communists wanted to destroy the good name of the fourth Main Directorate of „Freedom and Independence” and all independence activists, and then remove any trace of their existence. After a cruel investigation, members of the fourth Main Directorate were tried in a demonstration process. The course of the trial was reported on the radio. This was not without an answer. Among the voices of indignation was the letter of the Wrocław laborers, kept by the Security Office. The Church, and later Solidarność, also joined the battle for memory. All activities undertaken to preserve the memory of the fourth Main Directorate were stigmatized by the then communist authorities. Nevertheless, further activities were carried out. Symbolic graves were created, because the resting place of their bodies is not known today. An important and extremely rich source are secret messages written by the president of the fourth Main Directorate – Łukasz Ciepliński from the death cell. Archival sources, memories, press materials and studies were used to prepare the article.