Józef Hieronim Retinger 1888-1960
Józef Hieronim Retinger 1888-1960

Summary/Abstract: Th e paper is dedicated to the Cracovian Jozef Retinger, a personality without a doubt distinguished in European politics of the first half of the XX century. Jozef Retingers accomplishments in the field of international politics are unquestionable. To name just a few: acting for the National Council of Galicia in London, activities in Mexico, attempts towards normalizing relations on the Polish political scene after Pilsudzki’s death, evacuation of general Sikorski and his solders from France, actions for the creation of the Polish-Czechoslovakian federation, help in the preparation of the Sikorski-Majski treaty, the mission of freeing Poles from Soviet prisons, help in leading general Anders’s army out of Russia and the mission in Poland in 1944. After the war the creation of the Independent League for Economic Cooperation, organizing the Helsinki congress, creating the Eropean Movement, the Council of Europe and creating the European collage in Bruges and the last eff ect of his actions – the formation of the Bilderberg Group. These are only some of his achievements, which could be ample for several biographies. The author was moved to take a deeper interest in the person and activities of J. Ratinger, apart from the above mentioned achievements, by the motto of Olgierd Terlecki’s book “The Great Row” where it is written: Jozef Hieronim Retinger, one of the most colorful and most mysterious polish figures of the twentieth century. But his biography is of the kind that brings great difficulty to historians. So much complications, zigzagging, oppositions, whole areas covered in deep mist. In writing this paper the author used the available literature and sources obtained from the archive of Jozef Retinger in the Polish Library of the Polish Social and Cultural Institute in London, the Wladyslaw Sikorski Institute in London and the archives of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. he also used the archives of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences in Krakow and the documentation of the Center for European Research of the Economic Academy in Krakow, donated by Jan Pomian, Ratinger’s personal secretary and his daughter Wanda Puchalska. In January 2003, completing the materials the author carried out two several hours long interviews with Jan Pomian in his London apartment. The third, complementary interview was conducted in Novembrer 2003 in Warsaw. The author also conducted interviews with Wanda Puchalska and Stanisława French Nothingham, Jozefa Retinger’s daughters. This paper is an attempt of presenting Jozef Ratinger’s biography. However, not wanting it to contain only biographical facts, the author tried on the basis of this article to find an answer to the question: why did the Council of Europe fail to achieve its basic goal – uniting Europe, despite such hard work of Jozef Ratinger and other European politicians involved in the European Movement and the Council of Europe.

• Details
• Contents