Roman Werfel, born 1906, Lwów, died 2003, Great Britain, was a Jewish communist apparatchik in communist Poland, active during the reign of Stalinism in the People"s Republic of Poland.
Career
He was an editor-in-chief of "Nowe Drogi", the leading organ of the Central Committee of the communist United Workers" Party (1952-1959), and from 1948 director of party publishing house Książka i Wiedza. Following the onset of World World War II he escaped to the Soviet Union, and actively connected with Nowe Widnokręgi, a Communists periodical published in Moscow. In spring 1955 he was appointed chief editor of Trybuna Ludu, and removed from that position on 11 May 1956.
At the second congress in March 1954 re-elected to that position.
Politics
Roman Werfel took part in preparing the acts of indictment in practically all major political trials (Rzepecki, Mierzwa & Niepokolczycki, Puzak, Tatar, bishop Kaczmarek) and had this to say about the much-hated Communist secret police, the UB or Bezpieka: "There"s one principle you have to stick to, in beating: Johnny has to be beaten by Johnny, and not by Moshe." (Torańska, p 109). In the post-war period Werfel was twice chief editor of Głos Ludu (up to 1949 official party daily before the Trybuna Ludu was started).
Membership
Werfel was one of the older members of the Polish Communist Party. From the first Party congress, deputy member of the party"s Politbiuro.
