Main Social Services Council, Polish (1940 -- 1945) | Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust

<p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.1875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> 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 both wars World War I and World War II.

<p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.1875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> It was created during World War I in 1916, and again re-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:

<ul style="line-height: 19.1875px; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> <li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> Cheap bars with hot soup for the poor and the expelled; almost 2000 of such facilities were opened for almost 300 000 people</li> <li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> Shelters and hostels for the displaced persons and the poor</li> <li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> Holiday camps for the children as well as rest-homes for the children and the elderly people</li> <li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> 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</li> <li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> Educational facilities and trade schools (other schools were forbidden)</li> <li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> Relief for the expelled from Polish areas annexed by Germany, Zamość area, Volhynia and residents of Warsaw during and after the Warsaw Uprising</li> <li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"> Sending food packages for the POWs and prisoners of German concentration camps.</li></ul><p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.1875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> 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 (until April 1945). The Council had at least 15 000 volunteers all around Poland.

<p style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.1875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> The Council received financial supply both from the German authorities and (clandestinely) from the Polish Government in Exile.