Central Welfare Council

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Central Welfare Council (sometimes also translated as Main Social Services Council, Polish Rada Główna Opiekuńcza) was one of the very few Polish social organizations that were allowed to work under the German occupation of Poland in World War II.

It was created in February 1940 in the General Government. It had its departments in most of Polish towns and cities. Among its main tasks were organization of:

• cheap bars with hot soup for the poor and the expelees; almost 2000 of such facilities were opened for almost 300 000 people
• shelters and hostels for the displaced persons and the poor
• colonies for the children as well as rest-homes for the children and the elderly people
• places of free exchange of clothing and food as well as providing the poor with garment; up to 300 000 people a year were offered warm clothing
• educational facilities and trade schools (other schools were forbidden)
• relief for the expelees from Polish areas annexed by Germany, Zamość area, Volhynia and residents of Warsaw during and after the Warsaw Uprising
• sending food packages for the POWs and prisoners of German concentration camps.

It is estimated that the RGO helped an average of 800 000 people every year until 1944. The Council was headed by prince Janusz Radziwiłł (until June 1940), count Adam Ronikier (until October 1943) and Konstanty Tchórznicki. The Council had at least 15 000 volunteers all around Poland.

As an interesting fact, the Council received financial supply both from the German authorities and (clandestinely) from the Polish Government in Exile.