The Secret Police as a Means of Social Engineering in the Polish People’s Republic: The University Enrolment Process in 1947-1956

Abstract

The part that security authorities played in the process of university enrolment was an example of how the social policy of the Party authorities got implemented. UB employees had been executing tasks connected with the negative selection of university candidates since the first decree of the Ministry of Education that regulated that issue came out (1947). Student profiles, prepared by the Policy Secret (UB), were one of the major factors deciding whether a given Young person would be allowed to matriculate. In this case the aim was to “protect university communities,” which in fact meant that persons deemed by the authorities undesirable would be prevented from studying (preventive actions) and those with “proper class origins” (peasants’ and workers’ children) would have their academic future secured. Ministry of Public Securuty (MBP) officers, cooperated with the various actors: the party structures of different levels (from central to local ones), political and social organisations. Employees of the security apparatus rejected a large percent of candidates. In 1953 about 47 percent of students they vetted were put on the proscription lists. Therefore one could risk a statement that the UB played crucial part in establishing the social origin of student communities in 1947-1956.