The library has, like Poland itself, experienced a tumultuous and often tragic history.
history
Jewish leaders condemn Polish coin honouring WWII partisan accused of murdering Jews
Józef Kuraś, known by his nom-de-guerre Ogień, is regarded by many as a national hero but has also been accused of war crimes.
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One year on from the “Holocaust law” dispute, Poland’s government has won
Daniel Tilles
The controversial memory law, though amended, is still in place, the Polish government’s historical narrative is stronger than ever, and Israel and the US appear to have accepted it.
Poles and the Holocaust: new research, old controversies
Stanley Bill
Stanley Bill presents the findings of new research on the role of some Poles in the Holocaust, as well as the associated backlash in a climate of politicised history.
The “Polish death camps” controversy: Poland is not the only country that should confront its Holocaust history
Daniel Tilles
Daniel Tilles refocuses attention on the Antisemitism of the Allies during WWII, in light of the recent “Holocaust Law” and associated international outrage.
Lech Wałęsa and the politics of history
Siobhan Doucette
Siobhan Doucette discusses the figure of Solidarity hero Lech Wałęsa and the accusations that he informed on fellow dissidents to the SB.
New film on Wołyń massacres unites Poles in praise – but reconciliation with Ukraine will be harder
Daniel Tilles
Daniel Tilles discusses the Wołyń massacres, the subject of a new film, and how they remain an obstacle to cordial Polish-Ukrainian relations.
The politics of heroism: the museum of Poles saving Jews in World War II
Stanley Bill
Stanley Bill examines how the PiS government engages in martyrology and seeks to privilege the narratives of Poles who helped saved Jews; a new museum opens in the village of Markowa.
The “compelling need for truth”: reflections on Sandomierz’s blood-libel plaque
Daniel Tilles
Daniel Tilles examines a new plaque placed alongside the infamous Jewish ritual murder painting in the Sandomierz Cathedral, proposing that the plaque represents both a sign of positive progress and a missed opportunity to offer a more honest appraisal of a dark episode in the history of the town and the Catholic Church in Poland.
