The returns of Polish children from German Lands and scouting activity at the Transitional Center in Munich : the Polish West State Banner estabilshed by Władysław Śmiałek and its role in simplifying the fate of Polish war orphans

After the Second World War, roughly 3,1 milion Poles found themselves within the borders of Germany. These were people who had been taken as forced laborers, prisoners of war, combatants in the Warsaw Uprising, and prisoners of concentration camps. Among these people were children and youngsters. This chapter is an attempt to reconstruct their situation, with particular attention to those who were deported to labor camps in Germany. This reconstruction is based on a war narrative which was heard and transcribed by the autor. The historical material which was collected in the course of this research is based on an interview with an individual who was under the care of Scoutmaster Władysław Śmiałek, Ms. Aleksandra Wróblewska. Scoutmaster Śmiałek established in Munich the Polish West State Banner, an organizational unit of the Polish Scouting Association, under the auspices of which he organized scouting and scout leader courses for children and young people.Scouting played an enormous role in the limitation of the damage wrought by the effects of war. One result of Śmiałek's work was the return to Poland of organized groups of young people, who found aid in resuming their lives through the system of norms and values emphasizing service to others and honor for Poland which was promulgated by the Scouts.