The scope of reconnaissance and operative actions of Katowice Security Service's Section II, Groups III and IIIa, between 1957 and 1975

Abstract

This paper concerns the functioning of the communist Security Service (Służba Bezpieczeństwa) in Katowice voivodeship between the years 1957 and 1975. It presents the tasks and operative mechanisms of the members of groups III and IIIA, which were part of the Section II of the Katowice Security Service. Group III was tasked with reconnaissance and counterintelligence actions aimed at intelligence agents from West Germany possibly operating in the Silesia region. Group IIIa was tasked with finding and eliminating organisations and groups which sympathised with Germany or had an anti-Polish character in the region. An important part of its operations was recognising possible links between the German population of the Silesia region and organisations from the Federal Republic of Germany. The actions of both groups resulted in operative control of many citizens leaving the Silesia region for Germany, as well as foreigners coming to Poland from West Germany. The actions of Group III and Groupy IIIa in Katowice continued practically till the dissolution of the Security Service in 1990 due to the change of the political system.