Some Poles did collaborate with the Nazis during WWII, but these attitudes were not typical of Polish society, Polish Ambassador to the United Kingdom Arkady Rzegocki has written in the “Jewish News,” a newspaper published in London.
Rzegocki pointed out in his article that Poland was the first victim of the war, the first country to experience the armed aggression of two ruthless totalitarian regimes, and the first country that fought to defend free Europe. "During the German occupation Polish citizens were exposed to every kind of atrocity imaginable. The culmination of the wartime crimes was the genocide of six million Jews by the Nazis," he added.
He wrote that, for this reason, it was Poland's duty to remind the world of real historical events when they were being questioned. He said that this was not historical revisionism, but historical acknowledgement. "With some of the history's worst atrocities taking place on its soil, Poland is the guardian of the memory of all those who died in such hideous crimes as the Holocaust. And let's remember that three million out of the six million Jews murdered in it were Polish citizens," he continued.
The ambassador also said that when talking about the Holocaust truth, one had to confront uncomfortable facts. He stated that, "some Polish individuals were forced by the German occupier to collaborate with the Nazi German machinery of extermination, or even did so of their own will. But these attitudes were not dominant or typical of Polish society." He added that in Poland, debate on the different attitudes towards the Holocaust was never more frank, open and lively than it was today.
Rzegocki went on to say that despite facing the death penalty for aiding Jews, thousands of Poles helped, and 6,992 were named Righteous Among the Nations. He mentioned that the Polish Government-in-Exile was first to inform the international community about the Holocaust, and appealed to Allied governments to undertake actions to stop it.
"Knowing the role of all those involved in the Holocaust, we must ensure that we treat them fairly. Those who suffered deserve compassion and remembrance, the perpetrators – condemnation, the helpers – admiration. Only in this way will we give them their due, maintain historical accuracy and ensure that lessons of the Holocaust live on and serve as a warning, so that a tragedy like this never happens again," concluded Rzegocki.
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February 02, 2020 at 01:04AM
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Cases of collaboration with Nazis were not typical for Poles - ambassador - The First News
"typical" - Google News
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