The story
From May 5, 1945 till October 9, 1948, the city of Haren, Germany was turned into a Polish enclave for alll the displaced Poles in the British occupation zone. The town was mostly already abandoned, so it took little effort for the temporary change to accomodates the thousands of Poles who transited through there. They were cared for by the !st Polish Armoured Division. The town was renamed Maczkow, after General Stanislaw Maczek, who was the commander of the 1st Polish Armoured Division. The town was turned into a Polish community with Polish churches, stores, newspapers, entertainment, etc. After the last of the refugees left in 1948, it was turned back over to the Germans.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.