The heated debate in the Clash Zone over the Ulma family beatification and German wartime crimes drew intense reaction on TVP Info, featuring a confrontational exchange between Minister Przemysław Czarnek and leftist MP Maciej Gdula, with editor Michał Karnowski weighing in as well.
“The Church in Poland will not be destroyed”
The Ulma family, including seven children, were killed by German forces on March 24, 1944 for sheltering Jews. A beatification mass for Józef and Wiktoria Ulma and all seven children, including the unborn infant, took place in Markowa, Podkarpacie. On Sunday, the head of the Ministry of National Education, Przemysław Czarnek, was asked about the significance of the event during the program in the Clash Zone.
He described the occasion as deeply historical, noting that it marks the beatification of the entire family for religious reasons, and that it is the first time an unborn child has been beatified. He emphasized that the event also reflects the broader context and the essence of Polish‑Jewish relations during the Holocaust.
He recalled that a Polish family was brutally murdered by German occupiers for aiding Jews, under a harsh regime imposed in Poland. He stressed that the story highlights the value and sanctity of a family built on marriage and mutual aid, living through extreme poverty and crowded conditions, yet showing resilience. He recalled that the Ulmas lived in a small room with eight Jews sheltered in the attic for more than two years, not merely a brief period.
Moreover, he framed the ceremony as a vivid demonstration of the Church’s enduring strength in Poland. Nearly forty thousand people gathered in a small Podkarpacie town, a scene the minister witnessed firsthand during his pilgrimage, illustrating the Church’s influence even amid ongoing criticism from various quarters that he described as attacks by leftist centers aimed at eroding the Church’s role.
“The Church in Poland will not be destroyed because it belongs to Christ,” he asserted, underscoring the event as a testament to faith and national history.
MP Gdula and his ‘but’
As expected, left‑leaning MP Maciej Gdula offered a measured counterpoint. He acknowledged that some Poles acted heroically during the period, while others acted shamefully, and argued that the country should remember both the Ulma family and the faults of some Poles. He also suggested that compensation from Germany for crimes not directly affecting Poland should be considered in today’s context.
Michał Karnowski: There is no ‘but’ in the Ulma case
Editor Michał Karnowski, associated with Sieci weekly and wPolityce.pl, noted that German media largely stayed quiet about the Ulma beatification. They offered muted coverage, and Karnowski described the response as far smaller than expected. He also addressed Gdula directly, stating that there is no legitimate caveat regarding the Ulma family, noting that 21 Jews were saved in Markowa.
Karnowski recalled a documentary by Mariusz Pilis that showed the main perpetrator of the Ulma tragedy living later as a respected citizen in West Germany. He argued that the Markowa beatification is a crucial component in defending the truth about Poland’s fate during World War II, with the Polish underground and its networks standing on the side of humanity against German crimes.
Why does this matter to him? He posed three points about historical memory, accountability, and the portrayal of Poland on the world stage. Karnowski suggested that avoiding accountability or calling Poland anti‑Semitic would be a disservice to the country and its long struggle through the war. He warned against the idea of Poland being slotted alongside German criminals and emphasized the weight of shared memory for a nation that endured the entire war from start to finish.
“You have no idea of proportions.”
The debate intensified when the minister and the leftist MP clashed openly. The minister urged that the time had come to acknowledge the heroism of Poles who saved Jews, while arguing against what he saw as mischaracterizations and attempts to condemn Polish conduct by association.
“Hold the Germans responsible, not the Poles. You have no sense of proportions,” declared Professor Czarnek, who highlighted examples of Polish courage during the war.
The exchange underscored the sharp divides over memory, accountability, and national identity in Poland’s wartime narrative, with both sides stressing different aspects of history and its lessons for today.
READ ALSO: OUR INTERVIEW. Szpytma on the beatification of the Ulma family: Great gratitude to God. The pain stayed with us. These tragedies live within us
Source: wPolityce