LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Lenkų ir lietuvių santykiai; Propaganda; Vilniaus informacinis biuras (VILBI). Keywords: Polish-Lithuanian relations; Propaganda; Vilnius Information Bureau (Wilbi).
ENThe Vilnius Information Bureau (‘Wilbi’) was established in 1923 as a social organisation, although it was subordinated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and military intelligence (Division II of the General Staff) and implemented their directives on Polish policy towards Lithuania. Initially, Wilbi’s role was limited to preparing an extensive and detailed press review on Lithuania (“»Wilbi« Kaunas Bulletin”). In 1931, the Bureau’s responsibilities were expanded to include a press review on other Baltic countries and the organisation of the propaganda programme “Chwilka litewska” broadcast by the Polish Radio in Vilnius. This programme was intended as a response to the radio broadcasts from Kaunas by the Vilnius Liberation Union. ‘Wilbi’ was directly supervised by Marian Świechowski and Władysław Wielhorski, who acted as shop stewards of Branch II and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The political line of the broadcast was controlled and determined jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Branch 2 of Division II of the General Staff in consultation with the Ministry of the Interior and the Vilnius Regional Office. The role of the latter increased considerably after the change of Polish policy towards the Lithuanian minority in Poland in 1936. Eventually, in the result of mismanagement by the Head of ‘Wilbi’, Janusz Ostrowski, in 1936, the Office was transformed into a Lithuanian desk, incorporated into the Research Institute of Eastern Europe in Vilnius and published the “»Wilbi« Kaunas Bulletin” until the beginning of 1938. “Chwilka litewska” was subordinated to the governor of Vilnius, Ludwik Bociański, and then liquidated at the beginning of 1938. [From the publication]