Jan Bytnar „Rudy” in the light of the account of Danuta Kaczyńska „Lena” (contribution to the dispute over the religiousness of scouts)

Abstract

Associating the current dispute in the Polish Scouting Association about the attitude of its members to religion with a similar conflict from the 1930s, the article presents two fragments of the account of Danuta Kaczyńska ”Lena” concerning Jan Bytnar “Rudy”. The first concerns the cause of the death of „Rudy”, liberated during the Operation at the Arsenal. According to “Lena”, relying on the accounts of Jan Wuttke “Czarny Jaś”, the death of “Rudy” was the consequence of the administration of poison at the Pawiak. The second fragment is compiled in the article with a short story by Danuta Kaczyńska entitled Confession. The story’s protagonist – Bitek, who in “Lena’s” account personifies “Rudy”, rejects Christianity and religion in general as sources of his ethical motivation. Taking into consideration who the author of the account is, the issues raised in the fragments should not be ignored.