Is One Offended Pole Enough to Take Critics of Official Historical Narratives to Court?

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In a recent interview with Verfassungsblog, Wojciech Sadurski lists his fears accompanying the high probability of the Law and Justice forthcoming electoral victory. He mentions fundamental rules and values, such as the constitutional order, an independent judiciary, fair elections and free press. However, what can also be at stake and what just seemingly may be considered of lesser importance, is the possible conclusion of the process of reshaping the historical narratives and introduction of a state-imposed vision of historical truth.

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Beck to History


Der C.H.Beck-Verlag will den nach einem NS-Juristen benannten BGB-Kurzkommentar “Palandt” nicht umbenennen, weil so “die Geschichte der Entstehung des Werks präsent bleibt und auch in Zukunft Anlass zur Reflexion bietet“. Auf Täter verweisende Stolpersteine pervertieren die Idee des Opfergedenkens durch Stolpersteine. Sie sind historische Fußnoten im bleiernen Getriebe des Weiter-so. In der Beibehaltung der Namensgebung des Kurzkommentars kommt eine Traditionslinie der deutschen Rechtswissenschaft zum Ausdruck, die nahtlos an den Nationalsozialismus anknüpft. Erst eine Tilgung des Namens Palandt macht mit dieser Politik des zustimmenden Schweigens Schluss.

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Wo für Straßburg der Spaß aufhört


Spiegeleier auf der Flamme des Grabmals des Unbekannten Soldaten braten ist eine krasse Form des Protests – aber so krass, dass sie mit drei Jahren Gefängnis auf Bewährung bestraft werden darf, ohne die Meinungsfreiheit zu verletzen? In seinem Urteil Sinkova v. Ukraine zeigt sich der EGMR außerstande, satirischem Protest gegen staatliche Erinnerungspolitik den nötigen Spielraum zu verschaffen.

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Memory Wars: The Polish-Ukrainian Battle about History


Recent events show that the conflict between Ukraine and Poland over  the interpretation of controversial historical events of World War II has reached a point to be classified as ‘memory war’. These political initiatives from the both sides have destroyed the first achievements of the Ukrainian-Polish dialogue on mutual repentance, forgiveness and commemoration of the innocent victims killed during the conflict in 1940s.

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Reviewing the Holocaust Bill: The Polish President and the Constitutional Tribunal


President Duda decided to sign off the controversial law allowing to punish those who publicly accuse the Polish nation and the Polish state of taking part in the Holocaust and in any war crimes. The law will now come into force – a circumstance which is unlikely to calm the international discussion it has generated. Having decided to sign the law, the President announced that he will file a motion to the Polish Constitutional Tribunal to check its constitutionality. If the president is aware that the law may be unconstitutional and has at his disposal legal tools to check it yet allows it to come into force, he can be accused of constitutional recklessness.

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Calling Murders by Their Names as Criminal Offence – a Risk of Statutory Negationism in Poland

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On the eve of the Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27th of January, the Polish Sejm approved a law on the defamation of the Polish State and Nation, causing extremely harsh reactions from Israel, Holocaust survivors and international organizations. While the attempt to ban the use of the word “Polish concentration camp” seems fully justified, the scope of the law goes way beyond that and is a threat to the freedom of speech and academic research.

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