Was Poland in a state of permanent crisis under the Communist regime? Or, rather, could this undoubtedly bad system have been at the same time completely stable, with only periodical social revolts and political crises affecting the status quo? by Piotr Abryszeński The “Polish Months” Communist-ruled Poland in Crisis, released in Polish in 2008,…
In his new book, Tadeusz Wolsza returns to the terrifying Katyn massacre, focusing primarily on the intricate structure of an astonishing lie. Once again, he proves that perpetuating untruth has tragic consequences. by Igor Niewiadomski In the 2017 competition by the Janusz Kurtyka Foundation, the Polish version of the book was awarded first prize. Its…
There has been a lot of talk about the prison resistance movement operating in Auschwitz. The number of books devoted not only to the issue itself, but also to Witold Pilecki, is growing. Meanwhile, the most important book on this subject was written by a former Auschwitz prisoner over forty years ago. by Daria Czarnecka…
The suggestive image of an “Iron Curtain” creating an airtight separation of East and Central Europe from the western part of the continent often prevent us from taking note of exchanges which took place across the divide from Szczecin to Trieste. Similarly, if we examine Cold War intellectual history, we tend to look on the…
The main goal of a historical exhibition is not to represent the truth about the past, but to promote a particular, desired vision of it. This statement is one of the core hypotheses of a new book by Anna Ziębińska-Witek. It is also the point of departure for a thought-provoking study on the identity-building process…
Jack Fairweather, The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz, Custom House: New York 2019 by Igor Niewiadomski Less than three months have passed since the release of Jack Fairweather’s book, and it remains very popular. Polish media has thoroughly discussed the book, as have the media in…
