7.3.1 “Contacts with the French were strengthened.”


The final days left a troubling impression. Should the founding patriotic values be preserved or should a new “popular” Poland be built? The school closed its doors in a sombre atmosphere.
Life continued, to the rhythm of classes and songs, and relations with the inhabitants of Villard were better than ever. The French and Polish communities shed their blood together. There is now only one France, free and fighting.
The last days of the school left a troubling impression. Should you return home, whether or not you agreed with the new structures in place, or start a new life here or elsewhere? Students and teachers were divided. Wrona’s presence is oppressive and his power is significant. Portraits of the new leaders were placed on the walls of the school; the eagle representing the Polish state had lost its royal crown, symbolising its sovereignty.
In a sombre atmosphere, the decision was made to transfer the school to Paris. It returned to the premises in Rue Lamandé, with an annex in the suburbs, in Houilles, which prepared students for the Baccalaureate.
The end of the 1945-1946 school year and the presentation of diplomas were the occasion for some very carefully organized ceremonies. On 26 June 1946, the doors closed permanently. Lubicz-Zaleski tried to create a teaching structure in the Oise region that would embrace the spirit of Villard, but without success. The days of the Cyprian Norwid Polish High School were over…



