Background
Prudential plc, one of the UK's leading financial service providers, issued life insurance policies in Poland prior to World War II through Prudential Assurance Company Limited and its subsidiary "Przezornosc", a now defunct Polish company in which Prudential Assurance acquired a controlling interest in 1927.
Przezornosc policy, 1933
Przezornosc continued to issue life policies in Poland until 31 December 1936, and Prudential Assurance issued life policies in Poland from 1 January 1933 to 31 December 1936. With effect from 1 January 1937 both companies ceased to accept new life business and the administration of the two portfolios was combined.
Prudential policy, Polish class, 1933
Based on notes of surviving records that existed in Prudential Assurance's London office there were 4,623 policies in force in Poland at the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Over 42% of these policies have been settled since the early 1950s despite significant gaps in our records, due in no small part to their destruction in Poland under Nazi Occupation.
The assets of Prudential's Polish Business were seized by the Nazi occupying authorities, following the invasion of Poland in 1939. Unlike some major European insurers Prudential did not trade in Nazi occupied Europe. |
Information
Prudential will continue its long-standing practice of passing details of any claims made to internationally recognised legislative and regulatory bodies as required by them. These include State regulators in Washington, Florida, Minnesota, New York and California. The list of policyholder names relating to our Pre-World War II Polish Business was supplied to the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC) in February 2001 in order to support their effort to ensure the continuing return of unclaimed assets to their rightful owners.
View the list of policyholder names relating to our Pre-World War II Polish Business (PDF, 1.57 MB, opens in a new window)
The following are the existing names of staff members believed to have been employed by Prudential's Polish branch or its Polish subsidiary Przezornosc in December 1936.
View the list of staff members (PDF, 12 KB, opens in a new window)
If you believe that you are a surviving staff member from this period or are the relative of a former staff member and you are in possession of information likely to lead to the identification of a former Prudential or Przezornosc policyholder please contact us at the following address:
polishpolicyenquiries@prudential.co.uk
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