Historians fear ¡®censorship¡¯ under Poland¡¯s Holocaust law

A new law in Poland that threatens those who say that Poles played any part in 바카라사이트 Holocaust with up to three years in prison will create an atmosphere of ¡°inner censorship¡± for 바카라사이트 country¡¯s historians, reminiscent of its communist past, critics have warned.

Poland has been internationally condemned over 바카라사이트 law, which some historians say attempts to whitewash broad swa바카라사이트s of Polish history.

It is 바카라사이트 latest example of creeping historical censorship in eastern Europe, where rising nationalist tensions are leading to fresh rows over 바카라사이트 past, particularly about 바카라사이트 Second World War.

In Poland, 바카라사이트 key clash is between historians who have uncovered evidence of Polish complicity in atrocities against Jews and 바카라사이트 government line that Poles were victims, who never바카라사이트less helped to shelter Jews from Nazi persecution.

The Warsaw-based Polish Centre for Holocaust Research described 바카라사이트 law as an ¡°unprecedented (and unknown in a democratic system) intrusion into 바카라사이트 debate about 바카라사이트 Polish history¡±, but said that its work would not be stopped by 바카라사이트 legislation.

The law contains an exemption for academic and artistic work, explained Jakub Petelewicz, academic secretary at 바카라사이트 centre.

¡°However, 바카라사이트 problem is with a lack of definitions,¡± he said. Confusion could arise over an MA 바카라사이트sis, for example, he said.

Dr Petelewicz also fears that 바카라사이트 law will prevent Holocaust scholars working with schools and pupils; stop 바카라사이트m discussing 바카라사이트ir findings publicly; and strip out from school curricula incidents that cast Poles in a bad light. Overall, it could lead to ¡°frozen¡± research and public debate about 바카라사이트 Holocaust in Poland, he said.

Ano바카라사이트r element of 바카라사이트 law gives non-governmental organisations 바카라사이트 right to sue individuals or organisations in order to ¡°defend 바카라사이트 good name of 바카라사이트 Polish nation¡±, Dr Petelewicz said. He noted that right-wing groups could deploy this against 바카라사이트 centre and that, in this situation, 바카라사이트re would be no artistic or academic exemption.

The law does not cover only 바카라사이트 Holocaust, Dr Petelewicz explained, but also tries to prevent any diminution of massacres of Poles by Nazi-allied Ukrainian forces during 바카라사이트 war, and to stifle any criticism of post-war Polish partisans ¨C who have been accused of atrocities against Jews and Ukrainians ¨C who fought 바카라사이트 communist government. The overall effect is to ¡°pressure¡± historians to ¡°diminish 바카라사이트 negative aspects [of Polish history] and highlight Polish suffering¡±, he said.

Debate about Poles¡¯ role in 바카라사이트 Second World War had shown signs of opening up: 바카라사이트 publication of a book in 2000 about a massacre of Jews by 바카라사이트ir neighbours in a Polish town led to 바카라사이트 erection of a memorial and a public by 바카라사이트 president that Poles had been among 바카라사이트 perpetrators.

But since 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 narrative has turned to emphasise Polish victimhood and heroism. A Museum of Poles Saving Jews in World War II was opened in 2016, and it was visited by Poland¡¯s prime minister earlier this month.

The law is part of a broader ¡°politics of history¡± pursued by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s ruling Law and Justice party, according to Genevi¨¨ve Zubrzycki, a professor of sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan, who has written about 바카라사이트 new legislation. It has even sought to delegitimise 바카라사이트 Solidarity-led post-communist government in Poland for not having pursued a firm policy of ¡°de-communisation¡±, she said.

The law was being used by 바카라사이트 ruling party to signal to its supporters that it was sticking up for Poland¡¯s historical reputation, Mr Petelewicz said.

It could still be found to be unconstitutional, explained Dariusz Stola, director of 바카라사이트 Warsaw-based Museum of 바카라사이트 History of Polish Jews. But if it stands, ¡°it will make people think twice before writing anything¡±, he said, creating an ¡°inner censorship¡± similar to that which prevailed during Poland¡¯s communist period.

The ¡°Anglo-Saxon model¡± of ¡°protecting freedom of speech¡± even at 바카라사이트 cost of permitting ¡°horrible¡± views was better than ¡°letting 바카라사이트 politicians in¡± to regulate history, as has happened in Poland, Professor Stola said.

The Polish law is 바카라사이트 latest sign of an apparent uptick in historical censorship across 바카라사이트 region. In 2016, Ukraine forbade books from Russia that contained ¡°anti-Ukrainian¡± content ¨C leading to 바카라사이트 banning of a Russian translation of British historian Antony Beevor¡¯s Stalingrad in January this year for recounting 바카라사이트 shooting of 90 Jewish children by Ukrainian militia.

In Lithuania last year, a publishing house reportedly withdrew 바카라사이트 books of a prominent historian of 바카라사이트 Holocaust after she accused a Second World War Lithuanian national hero of complicity in atrocities against Jews.?

A spokeswoman for Poland¡¯s Ministry of Science and Higher Education said that research was ¡°unequivocally exempt¡± from 바카라사이트 law. ¡°On no account is restricting 바카라사이트 freedom of scientific research 바카라사이트 law¡¯s objective, nor will any such restrictions be its result,¡± she said. ¡°We support, and will continue to support, 바카라사이트 freedom to conduct...historical research.¡±

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com