“The current management of the Museum of the Second World War has not exercised due caution,” said Prof. in an interview with wPolityce.pl. Wojciech Polak. In this way, the deputy head of the Institute of National Remembrance College comments on the actions of the museum authorities, who first removed the figures of the captain from the permanent exhibition. Pilecki, St. Father Kolbe and the blessed Ulma family, and after a few days they restored it. “The conflict they have caused shows complete illiteracy when it comes to the ability to manage important institutions,” says our interlocutor.
Portal wPolityce.pl: How would you, professor, call what happened in the Museum of the Second World War?
Prof. Wojciech Polak: It was an attack on our national sanctities, our heroes, people who should be honored by us. These figures in the context of the Second World War should be known not only in our country, but also around the world. However, there is another very important dimension to this issue. These characters are saints. Although formally rtm. Pilecki was not beatified, but he is a man who demonstrated the highest level of devotion to his neighbor in a Christian sense. So it is unheard of to attack them.
Why was there such a big line? It was hard to expect that such decisions would not have a big impact.
It is hard to imagine, but these figures were not properly highlighted when the museum was founded. However, when this mistake was later corrected, it should have been accepted with respect as an extremely correct decision. In the meantime, we are somewhat jealous here: these “PiS” members have introduced their rules, now we will change them. I will tell you about one fundamental thing that is not being paid attention to in this matter. The current management of the museum has not exercised the necessary caution here. Any normal person who heads this type of institution and fulfills such a responsible role – including in politics – avoids unnecessary conflicts. Meanwhile, the conflict they have caused proves complete illiteracy when it comes to the ability to manage important institutions and large teams of people. From the very beginning it was known how much indignation this desecration of our sanctities would cause. Why did these gentlemen need this brawl? He understands that bonuses Donald Tusk implements his policy of putting pressure on his people everywhere, but his colleagues should be a little more reasonable.
Maybe common sense wasn’t the most important thing here, maybe something else was important?
You just had to use your common sense here. I know that these gentlemen have an idea to show the war as a whole, that all nations were involved, and that the German nation also had to make some sacrifices. Of course, he was there too, but at his own request. If Poles build such a museum, especially in the city where the Second World War began, we have the right to our own perspective. The Germans, of course, had to make sacrifices, but they were the aggressors and did evil, and this evil must be shown. I believe that such an exhibition still lacks the presentation of the Pomeranian crime. The fact that the Second World War took place in Gdańsk must be clearly emphasized. It was in Pomerania that the Germans committed the first genocide in Poland. Today we believe that these hundreds of execution and murder sites are one big crime in Pomerania that cost the lives of at least 50,000 people. victims.
These kinds of exhibitions are not private. These are exhibitions that are financed from our pockets.
I was an advisor for the European Solidarity Centre. The exhibition here was organised a long time ago, I follow it as it is changed and supplemented – something is added, something is moved. Every exhibition of this type is a living thing. It is necessary to ensure that historical exhibitions are historically accurate, readable and up-to-date. The whole society has the copyright on such exhibitions – also in the Second World War – because they were organised with our hard-earned and taxed money. I don’t really understand the copyright arguments regarding these exhibitions.
One of the arguments of the World War II authorities that raised eyebrows and quickly became popular was about an “anthropological story.” What is that?
Unfortunately, we see the efforts of the World War II authorities to restore this exhibition, which is supposed to show Germany as one of the many victims of the war. I know that this may be an attempt to make German tourists feel better, but it is difficult. It is not our concern, it is not our problem. This is the problem of the German state, which is unable to present the truth in schools and in the mass media, and presents truth that is falsified and often even slanderous to other countries. Just like in the series “Our Mothers, Our Fathers”, in which German officers fraternize with Jews during the war, and Polish soldiers of the Home Army are shown as anti-Semites. This is a scandal, a simple falsification. When Poland is slandered and German newspapers use terms like Polish death camps, we need to highlight examples of heroism and heroism even more. Prof. Paweł Machcewicz said that showing the Ulma family could distort the picture, because there were only a few Poles who saved Jews. how few there were. Of course, we will not give the exact number of these Poles, but the question arises: why? During the war, no one bragged about it, and after the war we had terrible unrest. After all, in Poland the Germans punished it with death and killed the whole family. Who wanted to confess in such a situation? During the occupation, no one bragged about it, and in the post-war confusion, no one returned to it. Poles who helped Jews died for it, so how was this truth to reach the general public?
In the background of this whole affair, Saint is accused. Kolbe of anti-Semitism. It is forgotten that at the beginning of the war, Niepokalanów was a shelter for 1,500 Jews. One of them hid here for almost a year, for which the monks paid by being transported to a concentration camp.
This is unheard of. There were statements that the exhibition also showed other priests who were victims of the Germans. Of course, many priests have been murdered and we need to talk about that. However, Father Kolbe’s sacrifice was unique: he gave his life for another out of his own will and love for another. This unique example should be made known worldwide. Let us not forget that before the war, Polish-Jewish antagonisms were visible in the press of both sides, and often concerned trade and the control of certain professions. Therefore, we cannot look at these matters without taking into account the realities of the time. Let us not forget that different saints had different periods in their lives, and their holiness was determined by breakthrough situations, in which they had to sacrifice their lives, for example. We have many testimonies from the Auschwitz concentration camp that Father Kolbe cared for and helped the Jews there. We have their testimonies, and they even claim that it was thanks to him that they survived the camp in the first place. These attacks on St. Father Kolbe are particularly scandalous.
Thank you for the conversation.
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Source: wPolityce