Organizacja i funkcjonowanie polskiej służby konsularnej w latach 1945–1949
Organization and functioning of the Polish consular service in 1945–1949

Summary/Abstract: Functions performed by Polish consular posts in 1945–1949 (apart from standard administrative and official ones) were conditioned by the post-war situation, staff shortage, and by goals of foreign policy set by the leaders of the communist party. In the analysed period they consisted in caring for Polish citizens, repatriation and re-emigration operations, registration of war damages, and actions aiming at gaining the Polonia (often with the use of propaganda against the Polish governments in London). It is worthy of notice that, despite obvious influence of the communist authorities on the structures and forms of work of Polish consular offices at that time, there were also some positive aspects of their operations, such as, undoubtedly, their help to thousands of Poles in coming back to Poland, in getting old-age or disability pensions, compensations, inheritances, or their actions on behalf of searching people who went missing during the war. The initial years of the analysed period of post-war operations of Polish consular offices were characterised also by a strong commitment to the problems of assistance for Polish citizens in socialist countries, but with the lapse of time this function of consulates was becoming less and less important. This, together with some limitations of economic and commercial functions of the consul, resulted from the introduction of Soviet models into the structure of Polish foreign services after the World War Second.

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