The post-war socio-economic problems of Lublin region in the years 1944–1945 in the report of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Lublin

Abstract

The communist authorities in Poland had little social support, which was the reason why they had to activate the institutions and employees of the inter-war period in the process of bringing order to the socio-economic situation in the country. Chambers of Industry and Commerce of the Second Polish Republic were an important link between the authorities and entrepreneurs. In the changed reality they were a form of organization of private industry and trade. The authorities used these institutions to bring an end to the private sector in industry and commerce during the process of industry nationalization and the subsequent “battle of trade”. The current document is an example of a periodical report prepared by the Chamber of Industry and Trade of Lublin, which sheds light on the first year after Germans were expelled from the Lublin region. It describes the process of reactivation of the Chamber and its subordination to the Polish Committee of National Liberation. It also addresses the issues of employment, prices, provision of supplies, effect of transportation difficulties on the process of normalization of economic activity and transfer of money. The second part characterizes the state of industry in the division of sectors, protection against machinery dismantling and transportation to Germany as well as features of post-war chaos. The final part analyses the specific nature of trade in the Lublin
region, taking as its starting point the reflections on the inter-war period trade, mentioning main exported goods, characterizing sector structure and effects of war. The document also contains some reference to the insecurity blocking private initiative and fears against implementing the Russian model of trade.