Henryk Tondera

Henryk Tondera's life embodied the intersection of cultural preservation and political resistance in 20th-century Poland. Born on July 11, 1903, in Zabrze, he became one of the most significant musical figures in Silesia before World War II, only to find himself among the first Polish political prisoners at Buchenwald concentration camp.

Tondera grew up in a working-class family where music provided both solace and opportunity. His father Ludwik worked in the Concordia mine, while his mother, née Olezewska, managed their household of six children. The family's musical inclinations emerged early when Henryk began learning violin from his uncle Karol and teacher Strzelczyk in Gliwice while attending primary school in Zabrze.

World War I dramatically altered the family's circumstances when Ludwik was killed in action. As the eldest son, eighteen-year-old Henryk assumed responsibility for supporting his two sisters and two brothers. He worked first as a secretary in a Zabrze law firm, then as a laboratory assistant at the Skealey Chemical Works until 1922. Despite these obligations, he maintained his commitment to Polish cultural activities, joining the Sokół Association and the Polish Military Organisation in 1919.

Tondera's political awareness manifested during the Upper Silesian plebiscite, where he joined the Silesian insurgents at age 18. His Polish activities drew violent retaliation from German militias who attacked and beat him in 1922, forcing him to hide for a year in various Opole Silesia towns. This early experience of persecution foreshadowed the more severe trials that awaited him.

Building a Musical Career

The cultural work continued despite the dangers. On May 3, 1924, Tondera directed a performance of Mateusz Kaminski's "Skalmierzanki" in Zabrze. This production caught the attention of the municipal choir "Halka" in Bytom, who offered him positions as conductor and artistic director. Tondera accepted these challenging roles and held them until World War II began.

His musical education progressed through scholarships from the Polish School Society, enabling him to graduate from the Music Conservatory in Bytom with a music teacher's diploma in 1928. He expanded his skills through conductor courses, including a 1928 summer program at the Music Centre in Krzemieniec with instructors like Bronisław Rutkowski, Kazimierz Sikorski, and Tadeusz Ochlewski. Additional training followed in 1930 at Kamienna and 1937 at a summer course in Suwałki, where he studied under Adam Świeciński, Tadeusz Czemiński, and Wacław Lachman.

The Dangerous Years

Between 1927 and 1939, Tondera served as a full-time employee of the Polish Union in Germany and conductor of the first district of the Singing Union in Opole Silesia. His work extended far beyond single ensembles. He conducted choirs throughout the region: "Lutnia" in Miechowice, "Chopin" in Zabrze, "Jutrzenka" in Wójtowa Wieś and Żerniki, and singing ensembles in Wieszowa, Górniki, Strzelce Opolskie, Imielnica, Zalesie, Ciski, Rozmierz, and Turza.

The Association of Polish Singers employed him permanently as a conductor in the Opole region, work that brought notable successes. The "Jutrzenka" choir from Wójtowa performed at numerous singing conventions, consistently achieving high rankings and gaining recognition when performing in other localities. On October 20, 1935, Tondera organized a "Żniwiok" event in Żerniki, conducting combined choirs from Żerniki, Wójtowa Wieś, and Sosnica. He also prepared vocal parts for theatrical performances, particularly involved in productions like "Sąsiedzi" (Neighbors) and "Taniec nade wszystko" (Dance Above All).

Tondera's cultural activities included significant editorial work. He co-authored the songbook "Echa Śląskie" (Echoes of Silesia) and authored the collection "Śpiewnik polski" (Polish Songbook). Both publications, prepared for printing, were confiscated by German authorities before they could be distributed. The loss of these works represented not just personal setbacks but broader attempts to suppress Polish cultural expression.

Persecution and Imprisonment

German chauvinistic groups viewed Tondera's activities as threatening to their goals. He received numerous threatening letters, and in August 1934, while leaving the Singers' Congress in Zabrze for the railway station, he was brutally beaten on Pawia Street. This violence escalated dramatically when World War II began.

On September 1, 1939, the day Germany invaded Poland, Tondera was among the first Poles arrested and deported to Buchenwald concentration camp. He received camp number 6070 and was assigned to block 38. His sister Kornelia, also involved in the Association of Singing Circles, was sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp.

The Polish prisoners at Buchenwald from autumn 1939 to spring 1945 formed what survivors described as the most cohesive and politically aware group in the camp. Despite the extreme conditions, they maintained their cultural identity through secret musical activities. During the Polish Christmas celebration in 1939 in block 34, prisoners who were "emaciated, starving, barely able to stand on our feet, but strong in spirit" sang Polish Christmas carols and "Boże coś Polskę" (God Save Poland), carefully ensuring no SS guards were nearby.

Tondera's musical expertise proved valuable even in these circumstances. The camp orchestra, which played for prisoner columns marching to work, began including fragments of Polish melodies during the winter of 1939-40. This was Tondera's work. Having taken responsibility for writing sheet music for the orchestra, he secretly included Polish melodies despite the fact that such actions were punishable by death. This act of cultural resistance demonstrated how music served as both a form of psychological survival and quiet defiance.

Other Polish musical activists joined Tondera at Buchenwald. Edward Machowski, born in Racibórz and active in the Polish singing movement, led amateur artistic groups in the camp and founded the "Słowiczek" choir. Jan Kaźmierski, a musical activist associated with the Association of Polish Singing Circles of Opole Silesia and conductor of the 3rd Singing Circle from Opole, was also imprisoned there.

Postwar Reconstruction

After liberation, Tondera returned to Zabrze and began working in the Culture Department of the Municipal Council Presidium. On September 1, 1952, he became deputy director of the local State Music School of the 1st and 2nd degree. In September 1957, he was appointed director of the State Music School named after Józef Elsner in Brzeg. Even after retiring in 1973, he remained actively involved in the Brzeg school, organizing events and arranging pieces for student performances.

His passion for working with singers continued after the war. He conducted the "Bard" choir and the Song and Dance Ensemble in Zabrze from 1952 to 1957. Between December 1945 and 1968, he led over 30 mixed, male, and school choirs. Postwar concerts included a grand classical music concert organized by the Chopin Singing Society in Zabrze on May 23, 1949, with proceeds allocated to constructing a Silesian Insurgents' Memorial, and a concert on June 15, 1952, organized by the Union of Folk and Instrumental Ensembles with choirs from Gliwice and Zabrze participating.

Folk Song Collection and Arrangements

Tondera's work as a collector of folk songs from Silesian areas proved particularly significant. He gathered songs from Wójtowa Wieś, Ziemięcice, Szałej, Sobieszowice, Strzelce Opolskie, Ostropy, and other locations, collecting over 100 songs. Unfortunately, not all survived to the present day, as Germans destroyed a large portion just before World War II began.

His folklore output consisted of 25 published songs, appearing in works such as "Folk Songs from Polish Silesia" (Kraków 1938, vol. 11) by Józef Ligeza and Stefan Marian Stoiński. Tondera not only collected folk songs but actively arranged them, creating four collections of folk songs for mixed choir. His most famous work was "A Collection of Silesian Folk Songs" accompanied by orchestra. He also arranged over 50 songs for mixed choir a cappella.

His arrangements were deliberately accessible rather than sophisticated, designed for the singing ensembles he worked with. These groups served as schools of Polish singing and Polish culture, so the pieces needed to be well-conceived and usually tailored for specific ensembles. Between 1924 and 1977, he completed approximately 40 such arrangements.

Tondera received numerous honors for his artistic work. The city of Bytom awarded him a music prize, and Gliwice recognized his folklore activities with a similar award. In 1964, the Council of State awarded him the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polish Merit for his contributions to promoting musical culture in Opole Silesia. In 1981, the Executive Board of the Union of Polish Ensembles awarded him the Gold Singer's Badge. He received 24 badges, medals, distinctions, and diplomas of recognition throughout his career.

Despite his achievements, Tondera remained modest about his accomplishments, often saying "it's nothing, it was just work and its fruits." He continued working until the final months of his life, always finding time to study and help younger colleagues. He willingly shared his library and sheet music with other conductors and musicians.

Henryk Tondera died on the morning of September 30, 1986. His life spanned the tumultuous decades of the 20th century, during which he maintained his commitment to Polish culture through periods of repression, war, imprisonment, and eventual reconstruction. His quiet determination to preserve and promote Polish musical traditions, even when facing death for such activities, illustrates how cultural work can serve as both personal expression and political resistance. His approach to this work was practical rather than grandiose, focused on the concrete tasks of teaching, conducting, collecting, and arranging music for the communities he served.

Sources

REDAKCYJNE, Kolegium (ed.), 1949. Dziennik Zachodni, 1949, R. 5, nr 146 [online]. 1949. Spółdzielnia Wydawniczo-Oświatowa „Czytelnik”. [Accessed 12 July 2025]. Available from: http://sbc.org.pl/Content/475798/PDF/iv5522-1949-146-0001.pdf

TONDERA, Henryk. Zapisał. i CIUPKA, Franciszek. Informator (red.), 1930. Płyną kaczki, (taniec czworok). [online]. 1930. [dostęp:  12 lipiec 2025]. Dostępny w Internecie: http://sbc.org.pl/Content/807271/PDF/Publikacja-GPE-028495.pdf

HANKE, Rajmund. Red. odp. (red.), [data nieznana]. Śpiewak Śląski, 1986/1987, R. 24, nr 5/6 [online]. [b.w.]. [dostęp:  12 lipiec 2025]. Dostępny w Internecie: http://sbc.org.pl/Content/271582/PDF/iii4204-1986_1987-05_06.pdf