“Chairman Świrski has taken some action, yet many hours have passed without any public signal that the prosecutor’s office has moved in this case. The chairman of the National Broadcasting Council acted with a prudent move, while passivity remains the worst stance. The Ministry of Education and Science, led by Minister Czarnek, has instructed the National Program for the Development of the Humanities to carry out studies aimed at compiling a comprehensive map of municipalities and Poles who resisted the propaganda that first appeared in the media against Poles, said Tomasz Rzymkowski, Deputy Minister of Education and Science, in an interview with the wPolityce.pl portal, referring to Prof. Barbara Engelking on TVN24.
In the wPolityce.pl interview, Prof. dr Barbara Engelking stated on the program Kropka nad i on TVN24 that szmalcownik activity was widespread in Poland during World War II and that Jews who survived the destruction largely did so despite the Polish people, who hindered their hiding efforts. Engelking also claimed that only a few Poles saved Jews and that Poles generally let down the Jewish community. How should that media performance be assessed?
Tomasz Rzymkowski responded by noting that Engelking is not a historian but a sociologist and psychologist, and her second appearance on the same program featured what he called outrageous remarks. He argued she had previously deployed racist statements against the Polish nation and had distorted history again, presenting what he described as radical dishonesty from a scientist who makes sweeping claims without substantiation. He suggested that the strongest counterargument exists in the fact that there was no other German-occupied country in Europe where rescuing Jews carried a death sentence without any trial or verdict.
It should be acknowledged that the program’s editor Monika Olejnik presented that argument. Engelking replied that in Poland, hiding Jews could be punished by death as well, and that the penalty was not always a death sentence but carried a deadly risk.
The interviewer then pressed for other occupied European nations where the death penalty applied to Jews who hid themselves. Engelking did not provide a clear answer to that question.
That omission drew attention. Some suggested that perhaps such a penalty existed in the German-occupied territories of the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, in the General Government, hiding Jews without trial was punishable by death, and the Ulma family’s fate stood as a stark example. Engelking claimed that attitudes like those of the Ulma family were rare in Poland, while blackmail was a common phenomenon.
That point was regarded as especially troubling. Engelking was accused of broad generalizations, implying that every Polish family contained someone who engaged in such alarming activity during the war. Critics argued that this amounted to a falsehood and nonsensical extrapolation, alleging that Engelking seeks to defame the Polish nation and has done so again.
Questions arose about possible legal responses to publications that cast the Polish nation in a negative light. Should such statements be met with formal responses, or should they be contested through media polemics and scientific works, noting that abroad the message about Polish alleged involvement in the Holocaust often takes hold first?
For this reason there was a media appearance by Engelking, because reports from Poland about the agreement with Israel on mutual youth visits or the commemoration of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising might be overlooked in favor of a profile of Engelking who is portrayed as an excellent historian despite lacking formal historical training. There was expectation for a response from state authorities, since insulting the Polish nation is viewed as a forbidden act.
Is there hope that the prosecutor’s office will address the matter? There was some preference for action, but no definite expectation.
As of now, Maciej Świrski, the chairman of the National Broadcasting Council, has issued a response by launching an inquiry following citizens’ complaints. At the same time, he stressed that within the bounds of freedom of expression, individuals have the right to express falsehoods, which, as he indicated, can have limited practical impact on this issue.
Świrski has taken at least some steps. Yet, a significant amount of time has elapsed without reports that the prosecutor’s office has acted. In contrast, the chairman’s decision to initiate an inquiry stands out. The Ministry of Education and Science, including Minister Czarnek, ordered the National Program for the Development of the Humanities to carry out research to map places where Poles acted to counter the spread of what was perceived as misinformation during the war.
The question remains whether the minister’s actions followed that particular statement. It was confirmed that this directive was issued as part of the program, marking a turning point in the matter. Some voices argued in the comments on Minister Czarnek’s post that such issues should be handled by the Institute of National Remembrance rather than by the Ministry of Education and National Science.
The Institute of National Remembrance has long produced in-depth analyses on this topic. Its resources are accessible online, in libraries, or in bookstores, and they offer detailed documents, testimonies, and examples of Poles who saved Jewish neighbors, often at great personal cost, including loss of life and family.
From a legal perspective, a lawyer by training would argue that the public prosecutor should respond to Engelking’s remarks. In legal terms, the case could involve both criminal and civil avenues. On the criminal side, there is a codified offense for insulting the Polish nation in the Penal Code. The prosecutor’s office could initiate proceedings ex officio because the statements were made publicly via social media and not in private circles. On the civil side, those who feel offended could pursue apologies and compensation from Engelking for the harm caused to Polish dignity.
This could involve organizations protecting Poland’s good name. A bold lawyer might draft a class action or a social campaign inviting people to sign stating that they have been wronged by Engelking’s remarks. Those who wish to join such a campaign could do so.
Adam Stankiewicz spoke
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