# Sonderaktion Krakau (1939)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1939-sonderaktion-krakau
Location: Kraków

German police arrested 183 professors and staff of Kraków's universities and sent them to concentration camps, part of a campaign against the Polish intelligentsia. Within the broader World War II period: Invaded by Germany and the Soviet Union, Poland suffered brutal occupation and the Holocaust, while its underground state and armed forces fought on every front of the war. At this point in the timeline (6 November 1939), the governing authority was Władysław Raczkiewicz (President of Poland (in exile)). President of the internationally recognised Polish government-in-exile in France and London during World War II. Sonderaktion Krakau mattered because violence against people and institutions left a lasting mark on Polish political life and memory. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Sonderaktion Krakau mattered because violence against people and institutions left a lasting mark on Polish political life and memory.

Ruler at the time: [Władysław Raczkiewicz](https://poland-history.com/rulers/wladyslaw-raczkiewicz)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Sonderaktion Krakau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonderaktion_Krakau)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Sonderaktion Krakau](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Sonderaktion+Krakau)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland (1939–1945) (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_(1939%E2%80%931945))