Aleksander Kamiński (Polish: [kaˈmiɲ.ski]), assumed name: Aleksander Kędzierski; also known under aliases such as Dąbrowski, J. Dąbrowski, Fabrykant, Faktor, Juliusz Górecki, Hubert, Kamyk, Kaźmierczak, Bambaju (28 January 1903 – 15 March 1978) was a Polish educator, writer, co-founder of Cub Scouts methodology, and soldier of the Home Army. He was one of the ideological leaders of the Grey Ranks and chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Polish Scouting Association.
As a writer, he is most well-known for his 1943 novel Stones for the Rampart, a wartime story set in occupied Warsaw that portrays the real experiences of Polish Scout resistance fighters during World War II.
Kamiński was born in Warsaw to pharmacist Jan Kamiński and Petronela Kaźmierczak. In 1905, the family moved to Kiev, where he graduated from the Russian 4th grade general school. In 1914, he moved to Rostov and in 1916 to Uman.
Hard financial conditions after his father died in 1911 forced him to work as a bank messenger since around 1916. In January 1918, he became a member of the 1st Men's Scouting Team "Tadeusz Kościuszko" in Uman. He held ranks of patrol leader, adjutant, team captain and troop adjutant since summer of 1919, and was captain of the Uman Nest since May 1920 (which included male and female scouts).
Since 1918 student of the Polish high school in Uman.
After returning to Poland in March 1921, he continued his education at the Kazimierz Kulwieć Middle School in Warsaw, where he received his maturity diploma in June 1922. Kamiński then studied history at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Warsaw and received his master's degree in January 1928.
During his studies, he continued to work on a regular basis: from 1922, he was an assistant to the teacher, a teacher, and later head of the boarding house of the Central Welfare Council in Pruszków. From 1929 he worked as a history teacher at Saint Stanislaw Kostka Gymnasium in Warsaw, and from 1930 to 1931 he was the head of the boarding house of the Union of Military Settlers for the youth of vocational schools at Młocińska Street. Kamiński co-founded and then became a member of the governing bodies of the Educational Trade Union.
Kamiński continued his activity in the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association during the interwar period. On 3 October 1922, the Commander-in-Chief appointed him leader with service from August 1921, and on 30 June 1924, he was appointed the rank of a petty scoutmaster. After changing the names of the scouting ranks (in December 1927) – a scoutmaster. From 1923, Kamiński was a team captain of the First Pruszkow Scouting Team "Stefan Czarniecki" (founded by Kamiński himself; in 1930 the Banner's command changed its name and number to 14th Masovian Scouting Team "Stefan Czarniecki";this is related to the unification of the numbering and names of the teams) and the 3rd Pruszków Scouting Team "Tomasz Zan". He also served as Deputy troupe leader. Kamiński kept a permanent column entitled "Scouting life" in the magazine "Echo Pruszkowskie".
In the years 1925–1927 commander of the Pruszków Troup, and from autumn 1928 to December 1929 commander of the Masovian Banner. At the same time, from September 1928 to June 1929, team captain of the 6th Warsaw Scouting Team "Jan Henryk Dąbrowski".Since 1931, head of the Minority Teams Department in the Headquarters of the Scouts. He was also the head of the Central Committee of the Union of Jewish Scouting Teams and Cubs.
Creator of the cubs methodology (in cooperation with Jadwiga Zwolakowska). Author of novels, which were also methodological manuals for instructors of the ZHP Scouts: "Antek Cwaniak" (1932), "Książka wodza zuchów" (1933) and "Koło rady" (1935).
He was head of the Faculty of Cubs at the Headquarters of the Scouts until September 1937 (with a break from April to September 1933). Since September 1933 commander of the School of Cubs Instructors in Nierodzim, Cieszyn Silesia, and since May 1937 until the outbreak of the war head of the Scouting Centre in nearby Górki Wielkie near Skoczów (the School of Cubs Instructors was incorporated into the centre). Head of the Department of Senior Scouts Education in the Headquarters of the Polish Scouting Association.
In July 1934 Kamiński conducted an international cubs training course in Brenna (Beskid Śląski), later, in July 1938, headed a Polish delegation to an international conference of cubs instructors in Gilwell, Great Britain. He participated in Jamboree in Great Britain in 1929, Hungary in 1933 and the Netherlands in 1937, and in the International Cubs Conference in July 1939 in Edinburgh (the next such conference was to be held in Poland).
After the outbreak of the war, evacuated in September 1939 from Silesia, he arrived in Warsaw around 12 September and joined the Scouting Rescue Headquarters. After the surrender of the capital he managed a temporary orphanage for children orphaned during the siege of Warsaw.
In conspiracy since October 1939, he was a member of the strict Headquarters ("Pasieka") of the Grey Ranks. Since that month Kamiński was also active in the Service for Poland's Victory. He became the initiator, organizer and then editor-in-chief of the "Information Bulletin" (issued weekly since 5 November 1939 by the Warsaw-City District SZP-ZWZ-AK, and since spring of 1941 by the Home Army Headquarters, the most important conspiratorial newspaper in occupied Poland – circulation up to 47 thousand). During his work in the paper he used his alias "Kaźmierczak", and since November 1942 "Hubert", as well as "Fabrykant" and "Kamyk". He was also the author of most of the introductory articles in the "Information Bulletin".
In "Przeglad Propagandowy" (1943 No. 2), under the alias "Hubert", Kamiński published an article "Podstawy ideowe propagandy wojskowej" (The Ideological Basics of Military Propaganda).
At the same time, in April 1941 Kamiński succeeded Captain Zygmunt Hempel in leading the BiP Division of the Warsaw-City District of ZWZ – Warsaw District of the Home Army under the alias "Faktor", and from November 1942 – "Fabrykant". Among other things, a cell called "Sztuka" (Art) was created, which initiated works of art, which were distributed or exhibited during the occupation (puppet theatre, caricatures, songs). He organized and then supervised the work of the Propaganda Commission (KOPR), which since spring of 1942 had been producing the entire publishing output of the Home Army Warsaw District Headquarters. He remained the head of BiP of the Warsaw Home Army District Headquarters until June 1944.
At the same time, from 1941 until the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising, under the alias "Hubert", Kamiński was a counterintelligence officer in the unit II of the Main Headquarters of ZWZ-AK.
Creator of the concept, founder and since December 1940 commander-in-chief of the Small Sabotage Organization "Wawer" under the pseudonym "Dąbrowski". At that time, he wrote an article titled "Little Sabotage" (Information Bulletin, 1 September 1940). The best known and most visible effects of Wawer's activity include drawings of the "anchor" of the Fighting Poland and "V" signs, as well as anti-German inscriptions in public places, distribution of leaflets, gassing of cinemas and megaphone actions. Kamiński personally participated in the first series of such actions – destruction of exhibitions of photographers showing photographs of uniformed Germans (5 December 1940).